ASADriver
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2004
- Posts
- 706
Here is a letter from the ASA MEC Chairman to the ASA pilots. In it, the ASA MEC criticizes the CMR MEC for doing what it thinks is necessary. It looks like the ASA and CMR MECs are following ALPA's "brand scope" snake oil salesmen right off the cliff. I think my MEC is missing the big picture. Their attack should be on ALPA national for it's failed scope policies and it's endorsement of the "bid for flying" concept.
February 18, 2005
Dear Fellow ASA pilot:
MEC Vice Chairman Tom Zerbarini and I were invited to attend the second
day of a special Comair MEC meeting on Sunday, Feb. 13 to receive a
briefing on Comair pilot negotiations with management. Prior to this
meeting, the Comair MEC had not divulged the details of these
negotiations, which involved concessions for future growth opportunities
and aircraft deliveries at Comair.
We received a bullet-point overview of what appeared to have been two
weeks of negotiations; however, full contract language had not been
drafted in time for the meeting.
After a briefing from the Comair negotiating team, we were given the
opportunity to comment to the members of the Comair MEC. We expressed
our concern and frustration about not being apprised of these talks,
while they occurred. We also restated our belief (one that we had
shared with the Comair MEC for sometime) that pilots should not select
the quantity, seat range, propulsion type, or manufacturer of aircraft
that a company requires for its operations; that's a marketing decision.
A pilot's job is to safely fly the aircraft that a company provides.
Comair and ASA continue to be healthy, thriving carriers, as witnessed
by their continued growth. Properly-managed growth increases the
viability of a company and reduces cost by realizing increased
economies-of-scale. Delta wants and needs ASA and Comair to continue to
grow to remain economically viable, (similar to the Southwest Airlines
growth strategy), until the two reach a cost-to-growth apex. Our
management has affirmed this point numerous times in the past.
With that said, our MEC is confident that Delta will continue to grow
both ASA and Comair irrespective of our participation in pay freezes or
concessionary givebacks. Delta may opt to sell one or both airlines or
IPO them to generate needed short-term cash, much like Northwest
Airlines did with Pinnacle. However, these are decisions that pilots
have very little involvement with despite the potential effect on their
careers.
The underlying motivation behind Delta management's efforts to negotiate
concessions from Comair pilots and drag out our negotiations is to
squeeze labor for the maximum amount of return possible. Management is
trying to cash in on the "concession craze" to cut costs at all costs,
regardless of the fact that we are a successful and growing component of
Delta's operation.
Management is keenly aware that pilots enjoy flying new and more
advanced aircraft. It will never miss an opportunity to convince pilots
to become venture capitalists with no return on their investment if they
show a willingness to participate in these kinds of schemes. Here's
some food for thought. Why don't we see the ramp personnel,
dispatchers, gate agents, clerical workers, and management being
approached with concessions-for-growth proposals? Growth would create
more jobs and higher paying supervisor positions for those groups.
Simply put, the latest offer to the Comair MEC is similar in its intent
and divisiveness as the 2003 RFP solicitation by Delta Connection, which
was administered to encourage pilot groups to compete with one another
for aircraft by sacrificing the terms of their contracts. The Comair MEC
was offered a similar promise for growth, prior to the announcement of
the 2003 RFP. The deal was designed to break the Comair pilots' top
pay-scale and divide their unity. The difference this time is that Fred
Buttrell is offering the deal instead of Randy Rademacher. Mr.
Buttrell's arrival at Comair has brought an aggressive management style
that has run rough shod over previously existing union/management
professional protocols. His "take no prisoners" approach with the union
leadership demonstrates his lack of concern for a long-term business
relationship with the Comair MEC.
Further, Buttrell has gone deeper into the bag of management dirty
tricks and dangled the E170 carrot at Comair. The intent is the same -
to get the Comair pilots to give back some of their hard-fought gains.
If management is successful, they'll use this strategy again and again
throughout the DCI and Delta family, precipitating a veritable pilot
contract "race-to-the-bottom."
It's disconcerting to note that this kind of whipsawing tactic is
occurring throughout the U.S. airline industry. To some degree, it has
been fostered by Delta management's recently announced strategy to
dramatically slash fares. This industrial chemotherapy serves to kill
off our competition while simultaneously killing us in the process. We
have to wonder when management is going to stop concentrating on costs
to cut and start looking for ways to improve revenues. In the interim,
we can expect more of this kind of behavior. Where we go from here
depends on our collective resolve and desire to work together.
Sincerely,
Capt. Bob Arnold, Chairman
ALPA ASA MEC
Comair VARS message dated December 11, 2004
". . . The ASA and Comair MECs hold the same position as we did last
year on this issue - pilots do not make decisions on aircraft purchases,
marketing, and sales of tickets, nor do we have control over other cost
factors and corporate decisions made at Comair or Delta in choosing
aircraft. We bargain for fair wages and work rules that acknowledge our
contributions to a safe, productive, and profitable airline . . ."
# # #
February 18, 2005
Dear Fellow ASA pilot:
MEC Vice Chairman Tom Zerbarini and I were invited to attend the second
day of a special Comair MEC meeting on Sunday, Feb. 13 to receive a
briefing on Comair pilot negotiations with management. Prior to this
meeting, the Comair MEC had not divulged the details of these
negotiations, which involved concessions for future growth opportunities
and aircraft deliveries at Comair.
We received a bullet-point overview of what appeared to have been two
weeks of negotiations; however, full contract language had not been
drafted in time for the meeting.
After a briefing from the Comair negotiating team, we were given the
opportunity to comment to the members of the Comair MEC. We expressed
our concern and frustration about not being apprised of these talks,
while they occurred. We also restated our belief (one that we had
shared with the Comair MEC for sometime) that pilots should not select
the quantity, seat range, propulsion type, or manufacturer of aircraft
that a company requires for its operations; that's a marketing decision.
A pilot's job is to safely fly the aircraft that a company provides.
Comair and ASA continue to be healthy, thriving carriers, as witnessed
by their continued growth. Properly-managed growth increases the
viability of a company and reduces cost by realizing increased
economies-of-scale. Delta wants and needs ASA and Comair to continue to
grow to remain economically viable, (similar to the Southwest Airlines
growth strategy), until the two reach a cost-to-growth apex. Our
management has affirmed this point numerous times in the past.
With that said, our MEC is confident that Delta will continue to grow
both ASA and Comair irrespective of our participation in pay freezes or
concessionary givebacks. Delta may opt to sell one or both airlines or
IPO them to generate needed short-term cash, much like Northwest
Airlines did with Pinnacle. However, these are decisions that pilots
have very little involvement with despite the potential effect on their
careers.
The underlying motivation behind Delta management's efforts to negotiate
concessions from Comair pilots and drag out our negotiations is to
squeeze labor for the maximum amount of return possible. Management is
trying to cash in on the "concession craze" to cut costs at all costs,
regardless of the fact that we are a successful and growing component of
Delta's operation.
Management is keenly aware that pilots enjoy flying new and more
advanced aircraft. It will never miss an opportunity to convince pilots
to become venture capitalists with no return on their investment if they
show a willingness to participate in these kinds of schemes. Here's
some food for thought. Why don't we see the ramp personnel,
dispatchers, gate agents, clerical workers, and management being
approached with concessions-for-growth proposals? Growth would create
more jobs and higher paying supervisor positions for those groups.
Simply put, the latest offer to the Comair MEC is similar in its intent
and divisiveness as the 2003 RFP solicitation by Delta Connection, which
was administered to encourage pilot groups to compete with one another
for aircraft by sacrificing the terms of their contracts. The Comair MEC
was offered a similar promise for growth, prior to the announcement of
the 2003 RFP. The deal was designed to break the Comair pilots' top
pay-scale and divide their unity. The difference this time is that Fred
Buttrell is offering the deal instead of Randy Rademacher. Mr.
Buttrell's arrival at Comair has brought an aggressive management style
that has run rough shod over previously existing union/management
professional protocols. His "take no prisoners" approach with the union
leadership demonstrates his lack of concern for a long-term business
relationship with the Comair MEC.
Further, Buttrell has gone deeper into the bag of management dirty
tricks and dangled the E170 carrot at Comair. The intent is the same -
to get the Comair pilots to give back some of their hard-fought gains.
If management is successful, they'll use this strategy again and again
throughout the DCI and Delta family, precipitating a veritable pilot
contract "race-to-the-bottom."
It's disconcerting to note that this kind of whipsawing tactic is
occurring throughout the U.S. airline industry. To some degree, it has
been fostered by Delta management's recently announced strategy to
dramatically slash fares. This industrial chemotherapy serves to kill
off our competition while simultaneously killing us in the process. We
have to wonder when management is going to stop concentrating on costs
to cut and start looking for ways to improve revenues. In the interim,
we can expect more of this kind of behavior. Where we go from here
depends on our collective resolve and desire to work together.
Sincerely,
Capt. Bob Arnold, Chairman
ALPA ASA MEC
Comair VARS message dated December 11, 2004
". . . The ASA and Comair MECs hold the same position as we did last
year on this issue - pilots do not make decisions on aircraft purchases,
marketing, and sales of tickets, nor do we have control over other cost
factors and corporate decisions made at Comair or Delta in choosing
aircraft. We bargain for fair wages and work rules that acknowledge our
contributions to a safe, productive, and profitable airline . . ."
# # #
Nobody does. Loose money on every flight, but make it up in volume 
