Getting rid of our pensions was a pilot voted on decision. Bymonek says 99% wouldn't have voted for that but 65% of the pilots did exactly that, they voted to get rid of our pensions.
The pilot pension fund went to the PBGC which is the government liability fund, not Delta management. When you say Delta management walk away with mansions in the Hamptons you really don't know what you are talking about.
Yes we as Delta pilots had it good before the pay cuts but our labor costs were well over 40% and that is just not sustainable. Our labor costs are down around 35-36% now and the airline is really thriving. What's Emirates labor costs, 15%?
The new 401k program and bonus system while very generous does not make up for the pension lost but the company is better off and so are we. The pilots that were close to retirement got an equity distribution that helped aleve their pain. It doesn't come close to losing over $2 million in A and B fund distributions though.
When you say we took it up the ass that might be true in a micro sense but the only thing we don't have now is our pensions. We have very good pay, excellent work rules and an enjoyable work environment. I don't know what more we could ask for except our defined benefit package which is going the way of the dodo bird. Emirates does not have a pension plan either. Your Provident fund pays 12% our 401K pays 16%.
Everything that happened to us was voted on in diolouge and talks between us and the company which the same can not be said for you guys. If we got screwed I don't know where we are lacking when it comes to a current pilot contract. We just turned down a TA that would have paid our wide body captains well over $300,000 a year to work 10 days a month. Plus we have work rules.
Delta ain't perfect but it isn't Emirates either.