DL Pilots Authorize Strike

[expoITHscohen]

I am with Emu on this one. Pilots do deserve to be payed a certain amount, mainly because they work so much harder to get to where they are. However they should not be paid at an extrem amount. People need to know where to draw the line. What I believe that is becoming more realistic for pilots now, a few companies are having starting wages around the same price as a 10 year vet for an airline. If that 10 year veteran has to take another cut, why should he stick with an airline that pays him less then if he just quits his current airline and starts all over on senority again?

Also, take into consideration Darwin's Theory and Social Darwanism. Are the pilots really going to feel that bad for 1000s of people losing their jobs? Maybe a few hours or so but they are just trying to do what is best for them. Pilots are lucky because they are hired (esspically after along time in service) faster then most other airline workers. If you see this in the pilots eye, this might be better for them in the long run.

Honestly though, I don't think Delta Pilot's will end up striking. It might be interesting if the pilots tested the market for jobs, but if they realized, they are probably not going to be better off. Most airlines seem to work through these problems and it only seems like a matter of time till the contracts are back in order.

[AA 1818]

The problem here is this - Yes, pilots deserve a high pay, and in an ideal world, they would be paid according to what they deserve.

But here is the real world scenario: DL is having a rough couple of years, all of the employees are taking pay-cuts, the pilots hold some level of control (where they know that if/when they strike it will most adversly affect the airline), and they are being given a decision -

Compromise a bit = take a pay cut = make the Upper Management happy so that they will be easier, more eager, happier and friendlier in the future to deal with = save the airline (hundreds of thousands of jobs) = set a good example for the rest of the industry = keep a job (even though it stinks for now) and know that when things pick up in the future, so will your salary. a.k.a the mature, respectable, and admirable response...

OR

Think about yourself = bit*h and moan about the current sittutation knowing that your other option would be to have no job, or work for a commuter airline where your expertise, experience and years of service mean nothing, and your paycheck will much lower than you have now and is still subject to pay cuts, or work for another airline where you will have to start from scratch as a new employee = strike and go against all of the other employees that took their paycuts with dignity and still continue to work with all of the grace that they have been working with for years = ruin the lives of hundreds of thousands of people all across the globe so that you can keep you salary for a just month more = or if you don't ruin the airline, piss off the Upper Management to the point that they decide to make those paycuts permenant and treat you like crap until this whole "bad time for DL" runs out = embarass the U.S. Aviation Industry by protesting = and above it all know that your protest will probably mean that even if you do get what you want, i.e. the same pay that you always got, you are going to ruin the airline that you claim to "love to work for".
a.k.a the immature, selfish and probable solution...

Choose wisely

[LRJet Guy]

There's more to that dispute than just pay. Way more. DL wants nearly unlimited scope relaxation. They want to do what US has done and park mainline aircraft to bring in more 70 seat RJs and then get the 90 seaters on the property. This means fewer mainlne jobs, and even fewer upgrades. It also means degraded service to the customers. (Try getting on a US flight that has been overrun with a 90 seat RJ).

From a pilot perspective, I can tell you that most, if not all of us at any given airline will give up a little paycheck to protect our job and our airline. All of the legacy carriers have done this. When you ask us to give up flying, that's when its time to kiss our collective asses.

History has shown that you can get your money back when the airline is doing well, but you can't get the flying back to a 73 or MD80 when you let the company outsource it to a 70 or 90 seat RJ. That is gone for good.

Also, take a look at the best example DL pilots have to follow. I would say USAir. Management took 3 rounds of concessions from all of its labor groups, and if not for the HP merger, we'd all be on the street anyway. If we flew the airplane like management ran the company, the NTSB would be very busy...

[AA 1818]

If we flew the airplane like management ran the company, the NTSB would be very busy...

LMAO!

Ok, now I get it. I knew that there was more at play here than just pay. Thanks for bringing up that aspect of the negotiations. Now, I understand it a bit better and I am beginning to see it from your point-of-view. Thanks man. BTW, I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS! Haha, you think that you are going to be flying on a Md-80 and get to the gate to see a CRJ. It has happened a few times too many.

[eagle334]

One aspect I have not seen mentioned here is people like us. How many of us have decided not to take the $49 Southwest funfare to Des Moines and said "No, I know Delta is struggling so I'm going to pay the $358 to fly them instead." This is where Delta management need to re-think things. Just like Delta hurting for cash, so am I and I will fly the cheapest major airline to get where I need to go.

[LRJet Guy]

Of course you'd buy the cheaper ticket. Why would you not? Especially in this day and age where Southwest is going to treat you better than Delta, or any legacy carrier.

The problem is that management at legacy carriers (gross generalization) have not reacted to the changes that have taken place in the industry, and now the labor groups at the airlines are paying the price for it through concessions and job insecurity. This has happened time after time.

Look at what happened with US. After 3 rounds of concessions we still had aweful management that hadn't changed a thing. Only the HP merger saved the airline, and as far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out. Employee concessions are almost always greeted by a round of management bonuses, costly airport improvements at the airline's expense, and various assorted other things that infuriate the labor groups. NW and US both used money gained from concessions to pad the wallets of upper management. Two US CEOs came in, got money from the employees, and left the airline in a worse money situation than they started. Along with their wallets a few million fatter.

DL has taken money from their employees and has now announced they are going to revamp their parts of the ATL airport with whatever improvements their planning. Does the airport need improvements? Sure it does! Does it need to be improved on the backs of employees of a bankrupt company struggling for survival? Hell no!! That kind of spending needs to wait until the company is financially stable.

After watching other airlines and employee groups go through bankruptcy, concessions, little change in the airline's structure, and management's spending, what should the DL pilots do? The fact is there comes a time when you have to say enough is enough. We're not going to finance management's stupidity any more.

[DAL767-400ER]

DL has taken money from their employees and has now announced they are going to revamp their parts of the ATL airport with whatever improvements their planning. Does the airport need improvements? Sure it does! Does it need to be improved on the backs of employees of a bankrupt company struggling for survival? Hell no!! That kind of spending needs to wait until the company is financially stable.

Just as an FYI: The airport authority will pay for most of the refurbishments, DL just get's to receive the praise for it.