Recall Prater Before He Blows This Merger Too

[Poahi]

No, each MEC negotiates the parameters ....

What magical language did DAL ALPA negotiate? I think the issue is that the dispute will be settled through arbitration and for whatever reason, the Delta pilots are confident things will go their way. There is no practical language that will accommodate all merger/acquisition scenarios. It's more of a fairness question.

 

[JoeMerchant]

"Fairness" and "Career Expectations" are in the eyes of the beholder....We need something more objective and less subjective.....

 

[~~~^~~~]

I'm not getting into this debate again.

From the other side of the table... they were right. Their only sin was political.

Today, our profession and our union would be a lot larger, stronger and more equitable had the express carriers been stapled on one list.

I happen to like narrow body domestic flying. It is a shame Delta has mostly got out of that business. PCL, the flying you do has been 60+ % outsourced....

 

[FDJ2]

What magical language did DAL ALPA negotiate?

I was talking about language in the PWA that requires seniority list integration, not an integration methodology.

I think the issue is that the dispute will be settled through arbitration and for whatever reason, the Delta pilots are confident things will go their way. There is no practical language that will accommodate all merger/acquisition scenarios. It's more of a fairness question.

Many wrongfully concluded that since DALPA strongly believes that a negotiated list is preferable to an arbitrated list that the DAL pilots were afraid of arbitration. Another false conclusion.

 

[PCL_128]

No, they're simply doing something that is monumentally stupid.

Yeah, who needs a pay raise? Imagine pilots negotiating with their management. How dare they.

They should have let the opportunity to get those pay raises and equity pass them by.

You basically had two choices:

a. use the opportunity to capture contract improvements, but piss off and disillusion the NWA pilots which will soon make up half of your pilot group, or

b. pass up the opportunity to get unilateral contract improvements, but use the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the NWA pilots and build solidarity

Under the circumstances, the only smart play would have been option B. Your MEC chose A, and they won't like the results.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

"Fairness" and "Career Expectations" are in the eyes of the beholder....We need something more objective and less subjective.....

Maybe you can sell your widget to the art world. Art will either be good or bad.

 

[~~~^~~~]

You basically had two choices:

a. use the opportunity to capture contract improvements, but piss off and disillusion the NWA pilots which will soon make up half of your pilot group, or

b. pass up the opportunity to get unilateral contract improvements, but use the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the NWA pilots and build solidarity.

First, plan B was the Delta pilots' plan #1. They brought management to the table with 2Bn in contractual goodies and the NWA MEC agreed. But a "disagreement" was reached on SLI and the NWA negotiators tried to force the Delta side into handicapping the SLI arbitration against their pilots.

When plan B failed (due in so small part to NWA intransigence) NWA management opened up talks again without their pilots and Delta's BOD (which is separate than management) said Delta was going ahead with a merger.

So the only choice was to try to lock in contractual gains and scope provisions to prevent whipsaw with NWA's pilots.

Just standing there "shoulder to shoulder" would not stop the bus. D_MEC's choice was to get on board and be relevant, or get run over. At least now that we are on the bus we are in a better position to get NWA on board too.

NWA is not locked out of anything. To the contrary, they are needed on board.

Of course there are the other host of issues that your choices ignore, like the ability of the Delta pilots to negotiate for a group of pilots they do not represent....

Dunno if it is the friendly AirTran competition talking, but I think you are backing the wrong horse.

 

[PCL_128]

The only thing you've locked in is an "I've got mine" LOA that alienates the other half of the soon-to-be-combined pilot group. The smart move would have been including a clause in the LOA for expedited arbitration and required parity for the NWA pilots. The apparent lack of desire to accomplish that is a clear signal that DALPA is using this LOA as leverage against their fellow pilots. You're doing a good job of spinning it, but it's easy to see through to the true motivations.

 

[FDJ2]

The only thing you've locked in is an "I've got mine" LOA that alienates the other half of the soon-to-be-combined pilot group.

Guess what PCL, they are locked out of our contract regardless, until we have a joint CBA.

The smart move would have been including a clause in the LOA for expedited arbitration and required parity for the NWA pilots.

Expedited arbitration? Where is that in ALPA merger policy?

Delta pilots can't negotiate for NWA pilots, furthermore, they brought zero to the table in this negotiation. In the original TFA they brought a joint contract, a transition agreement and a negotiated SLI. That's why there were bennies in the deal for them if it got done.

In this one they brought zero.

So should Delta pilots expend their contractual leverage, which we paid dearly for in bankruptcy, on pilots who are not on our list?

What has transpired here?

The Delta pilots negotiate contractual improvements and scope protections during the interim period of a merger because they preserved vital elements of their contract, which the NWA pilots conceded to keep their DB plan.

Would you have the NWA pilots turn over half of their DB plan to the Delta pilots in the name of "brotherly love?"


The apparent lack of desire to accomplish that is a clear signal that DALPA is using this LOA as leverage against their fellow pilots.

In what way?


You're doing a good job of spinning it, but it's easy to see through to the true motivations.

You see nothing.