Selfishness in the extreme?!

[ironbutt57]

For many years ALPA has fought for, and successfully achieved, "scope clauses" in their collective bargaining agreements, which limit the number of regional jets their respective regional partners can operate..usually based on the fleet numbers operated by the major carrier..now that these same major airline pilots are being furloughed in droves, they turn around and are trying to force the same regional partner airlines to hire them while on furlough, without forcing them to resign their seniority at the major...so in effect limiting the jet flying opportunities for the regional partners, but at the same time...flowing back and taking away what jobs the regionals have been allowed to have!!! Both pilot groups are members of the same union...ALPO (A)....when does greed end...and reality take over...these major airline pilots fought tooth and nail flow-through agreements that would have allowed regional pilots to advance during the good times, but now these same major airline pilots are fighting for flow-back agreements when the regionals are doing good, and the majors are laying off....hypocrisy at it's best...time for a revolt amongst regional pilots...see the website regional jet defense league....amazing

[411A]

Well Ironbutt57, you have to admit that the ALPA guys have not ever changed their collective spots...which are, scr@w the regional guys, we want it ALL.
Suspect it will not change, EVER.
We have three projects in formation at the moment, and ALPA guys are NOT welcome at ANY of them.
And, I have the say so.:D

[BOING]

You have to look at individual airlines here. In my case the pilots wanted the company to buy the regional operators and add the regional pilots to the seniority list. Our pilots thought that job security would be better if the pilot groups were unified and had common goals. It was the company that refused to do this because they thought the regionals would be cheaper to use by keeping them independent. Since that time I am very well aware that there has been no great move to prevent the transfer of pilots from regionals to our mainline operation. I have flown with many ex-regional pilots now on our payroll. The only curious thing I have noticed is that relatively few regional pilots came from our own associate regional carriers. The cynical guess is that our company has a secret agreement with our regional carriers that we will not "poach" their pilots and increase their training costs.

I understand that some of the confrontations have been very badly handled. However, do not paint all pilot groups with the same brush. Internal battles in these trying times only really help the people who see advantage in a feuding pilot group.

Of far more significance as far as the career of regional pilots is concerned is the reduction in the size of mainline fleets. At one time, flow through from the regionals to the mainlines was possible. Nowadays, with fleet size reductions and furloughees waiting to be recalled it could be many years before regional pilots see the majors hiring. Even when hiring begins it could be under conditions which are not as attractive as they used to be.

Many new pilots saw the regionals as a way to the big pay check. Now the big pay check may not be so big and the RJ could be a career pinnacle.

Just posted this a little after 411 made his post so am editing.
Frankly 411 anyone who works with you will have a miserable career being told how they cannot meet the level of perfection you demonstrate and require. You sound like a mico-managing, interfering, arrogant know-it-all who would drive anybody with an ounce of intelligence and self-respect into insanity in a month. Just thought I would let you know - cheers!

Edited again to add the word "arrogant"

[Kaptin M]

Don't waste your breath on replying to 411A, BOING - he is the USA's version of The Guvnor, a wannabe airline manager who dreams aloud here on PPRuNe. With the exception that he (411 had some flying experience as a contract pilot a very long time ago)...............and is about TWICE The Guvnor's age. :eek:

We have three projects in formation at the moment,
Sure you do, 411 :rolleyes: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner!!

[411A]

You left out two words, BOING....cost effective.:p

Hmm, the good Kaptin left out cocktail hour:eek: ;) :D

[arcniz]

Kaptin M, et alia -- my 2p:

411a is but one more of the colorful characters in the pprune zoo. His intellectually predatory attitude is a right PITA, but he seems more credible to me than the guv ever was.

Though I have not hung on his every word, my impression from the flow of it is that 411a really holds himself to the standards he spouts off about. He is probably not so much in the operational flow as he would like to be - whether through age, health, or other circumstances - and he takes full advantage of the anonymity of pprune to vent his curmugeonly thoughts where they can provoke occasional interesting conversation and possibly have some constructive effect - or bring meaningful feedback.

A creature one finds in the deserts of Arizona is the Gila Monster, a cat-size venomous lizard that is said, by local wags, to have such a poisonous bite because it never excretes - it merely saves up the poisons to use for other business.

FWIW

[Huck]

Inside the flying world are pilots and pilots, so to speak.

Those that get up, day after day, and push up throttles - amassing 20 or even 30 thousand hours in a career that teaches humility, respect for the profession and an ingrained sympathy for any other professional also grinding it out, day by day.

Then the other brand - those that get into training and management early, punching a clock 8 to 5, shuffling paper and riding herd on their inferiors, taking the odd out-and-back (in sunny weather) to get their minimum landings, hopping from carrier to carrier, climbing the ziggurat until they reach Director of Ops or even higher.

Nothing wrong with either type, but by their fruits ye shall know them. Anyone who viscerally, reflexively, immediately spouts off opinions invariably critical of line pilots and unions most certainly would be from type 2.

[411A]

You left out a third group Huck, those relatively well off ALPA /APA guys at major carriers who look down...way down, at regional carrier pilots'...until they want to steal their jobs. Not only that, but suspect that they would want super seniority too, just because they came from the "parent" carrier.
I have absolutely NO time for these...and suspect that the regionals don't either.

[Huck]

I've said this before here- what airline beancounters have to fear is unified, motivated pilots, joined in a stong and vibrant national union, calling in unity for one seniority list from the right seat of the BE-1900 to the left of the B-747.

Which is to say, they have little to fear.

(Apologies to W.F. Buckley for flagrant plagiarism).

BTW, I was at ground zero of the RJDC dispute, holding an MEC office (o.k., just safety Chair) when we were wholly bought out by big D. I have flown with some of the RJDC organizers, and know several more. These are the VERY SAME bunch that argued against pursuing One List with our Widget brethren. I would go to these meetings and argue that I would be glad to have seniority # 10,001 - only to be hooted down and told we should hold out for date of hire. RJDC members are "lifers" at the regionals - nothing wrong with that, but pokes a big finger in the eye of any unified strategies with mainline brethren (see paragraph 1, above).

It is going to be a medieval bloodbath in the years to come. I'm glad I'm watching from the freighter sidelines....

[ooizcalling]

ironbutt57

Totally agree with your sentiments.
That web site ' Regional Jet Defence League' ..... couldn't find it !
Whats the URL or could you post with hyperlink pls.

[A-V-8R]

Try:

http://www.rjdefense.com

for some of these morons.....

They can operate any size airplane they want....

Just they have to provide their own airline reservations, fuel purchasing, interline agreements, catering, and in the case of the United Express carriers, paying for their own training instead of United doing it....

[surplus1]

Interesting perspectives but most comments barely scratch the surface of the many issues/disputes involved and some challenge veracity.

To my knowledge there is no such thing as the regional jet defense league. One gentleman mentions the RJDC, the correct acronym but then claims to have flown with "some of the organizers" and to have been safety chairman of the airline from whence they come. While I would prefer to avoid more controversy than already exists, those statements do not appear to be accurate.

The original organizers of the RJDC (Regional Jet Defense Coalition) are all Comair pilots that are still employed by Comair. The Comair safety chairman (at the time of the organization - not one of the litigants) is still safety chairman and still employed by Comair. Obviously they could not be the same person. Additionally, none of the original organizers of the RJDC have ever argued against pursuing one list "with our Widget bretheren" and could not be accurately described as "the very same bunch" of anything. It appears that the "view" from some cockpit windows is somewhat different from what one sees through other cockpit windows. Perhaps the anti-ice doesn't function on that side. Oh well, diversity is perhaps one of the piloting profession's best assets.

The RJDC does have a web site. The url is rjdefense.com If interested, the organizers are listed by name on that web site. The organization represents a large group of Comair pilots and some ASA pilots who allege that the ALPA has violated its Duty of Fair Representation (a requirement of US Labor Law) and fails to represent the interests of pilots at Comair and ASA. A lawsuit (also available on the web site) has been filed against the union (by the Comair pilots) seeking redress and a stay of the challenged ALPA activities.

The litigation is in the preliminary stages and there has been no decision of the courts as yet. At present, ALPA's motion to dismiss is before the court and should be heard shortly. If the court should deny ALPA's montion, the case will proceed to trial.

The web site contains detailed information about the law suit and in-depth outlines of the RJDC's position on relevant issues. Lots of material that will take time to read. However, those who elect to read it will get a good view of the plaintiff's perspective.

Enjoy.

(edited to correct spelling errors -- hopefully)

[BOING]

Clearly, with the conflicting demands of the various pilot groups ALPA , as a policy provider, has reached the end of the line. It is pointless to have an organisation which is continuously being sued by one or other of its membership groups. Perhaps ALPA should, in some way, back away from such items as seniority list and merger policy etc. ALPA still has a tremendous role to play in the areas of ATC coordination, safety and related non-contentious areas.

Somehow I cannot see that this is going to prevent rancour and law suits between pilot groups (this is America after all) but at least ALPA would not be spending vast amounts of money defending itself against events over which it really has no control.

The real shame involved in all of the internal battles within the pilot group is that almost every action causes a diminuation of this career that we all seek. There really is no point in fighting for your own advancement when by doing that you destroy the value of the job you were trying to obtain.

[Huck]

I was at ASA, my name is Steve G., and I stand by my recollections of the spring-summer of 1999.

The pilots I "flew with" were the ASA litigants you speak of. If they were not organizers then I stand corrected. The ones I "knew" were at Comair. The RJDC was organized after I left.

I certainly did not claim to be Mitch. I don't know him well, but I have been to a few meetings with him.

I left, in fact, BECAUSE of this attitude I saw coming. This circular firing squad that will not help anyone. We had a window then, right after the buyout, when a common strategy could have been achieved. But the leadership sought other directions. I left to go fly ACMI at Gemini rather than sit around and wait for the whipsawing to begin.

I put alot of time and effort into that company and that MEC, and my opinions count at least a little, though you can feel free to disagree. Ask John B. or Ken C. about me. And say hello To Dan F. - he and I argued about this very same subject in the spring of 1999 in Orlando during the DAL Safety weekend.

[126.9]

Almost a mirror of what went on at SWISS! The Swissair pilot corps would have nothing to do with little sister Crossair's pilots! Good grief no: they were too lowly flying those little machines over there in Basle! :cool: Oh, then came BANKRUPTCY: the great equaliser of all human beings. :confused:

Now that Crossair has bought what was left of the Swiss Precision Machine, the ex-Swissair lot, not only want their airline, but they're hell-bent on taking it down the same route that they took their own!? :eek:

[ironbutt57]

Thanks 126.9...you have to have lived it to be sick of it...from 1981 when ALPO wouldn't even organize us (nothing for us to offer) 1983 Continental strike...low coffers, possible scabs...all of a sudden ALPO interested in "commuters"...flow up agreements? when we all became "feeders" with the same paint jobs...you must be kidding! exception at Continental...only one in the industry for years...later Midway, then finally American.. now all of a sudden.....let's unify!!!!! transparent or what?...think the Delta connection pilots should tell them to take a hike...the Delta MEC didn't even have the courtesy to approach the connection MEC with the idea...amazing!!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[BOING]

Ironbutt, please slow down and speak clearly. I am missing your point.

Remember the commuter evolution was a new experience for ALPA and the major airlines and as such it took a while for these people to adjust and nobody denies mistakes were made. If you wish to turn this situation into an ongoing feud on the lines of Serbia or Ireland it is up to you. It would seem, however, that solving the problem is more important than tearing the, admittedly flawed, system apart.

Here is your real long term problem. The majors, who were the career target of many commuter pilots are now going to be off limits for several years, at least, because of cut-backs and furloughs. Many of the present generation commuter pilots are going to be TOO OLD to be hired by the majors even if and when they do start rehiring. RJs are going to get bigger and the pressure is going to be applied to keep these larger aircraft with commuter operations. The majors do not want the large RJs in their fleets because of their own high operating cost structures. Therefore, as a commuter pilot you will be flying a 737 capacity aircraft for an RJ paycheck and work conditions. Your long term problem is going to be finding a way to turn your commuter career, which you may be locked into, into a career as good as the one you once had a chance of achieving. You will only do this by using the combined strength of the pilot group, you will not do it on your own.

Work within the system. Get elected. Change the policies. What ALPA did was to assume a role as seniority arbitrator and contract ratifier that was a sham even in the good times. ALPA never has had power to enforce any agreement between pilot groups, only ratify them, so it is no good yelling at ALPA when things happen you do not like.

Your present gripe seems to be that certain mainline pilot groups are trying to get their surplus pilots transferred to their airlines regional carriers. What do you seriously expect them to do? If you have a problem with that rather than ranting here organise your own group in defence. If you look at the situation you will realize you have powerful allies. If the major airline involved actually paid for the aircraft you are flying you may not have much of an argument. If your company is truly independent you should be OK. Many commuters grew because of large cash injections from the parent airline. If that is the case the major pilots have an argument which is "Our work paid for the RJs in the first place,. We did not complain when our money was used to buy your aircraft so why should you complain that we now claim the right to fly the aircraft we own?".

This may strike you as unfair but it also stikes a major airline pilot as unfair the his career is terminated, full stop, gone whilst pilots in your position continue to fly aircraft that were purchased by his company. I am not taking sides, just providing a viewpoint.

[ironbutt57]

All view points accepted....go to the regional jet defense league website and read it for yourself....

[BOING]

I read it. It is just an extreme example of the other side of the argument. Commuter guys want to control everything, major airline guys want to control everything, take your pick. Tear each others throats out, sue everybody! You know what? The only people who will win will be the airline corporations and passengers who get another 50 cents off the price of their ticket.

Somebody is always in the firing line when major economic and business changes take place. It was the first airline pilots at the creation of ALPA. It was the skilled assembly workers when the auto. industry introduced production lines. It is now the present large airline pilots and the regional pilots as the airline industry lurches into reorganisation. It is the way of these things. It is no fun being on the point. As the Sergeant said in the movie "Zulu" when asked by a soldier why the bad things were happening to them, his reply was "because your here Son, and nobody else is".

The scope clauses made sense to major airline pilot groups so they were put into contracts many years ago. They scope clauses were not specifically targeted at RJ operations, they were a universal protection. Management agreed to those scope clauses. They are a legal document in as much as any contract is a legal document. You cannot criticise major pilots for wishing to apply a contract provision for which they bargained.


For the last few years the commuter pilots have enjoyed life as they seemed to be part of an endless expansion. They were the first to rejoice over their good fortune. Expansion, jets, life is great! Now reality has set in. Turns out the good times they enjoyed were based on the losses of their large airline brethren. The major's pilots were losing losing jobs because those jobs were fuelling the expansion of the commuters.

What the commuter pilots are calling "stealing their jobs" the major pilots see as "getting their jobs back". We are caught in the vortex of change. Somebody is going to get hurt, hopefully only temporarily. Somebody explain to me the practical difference between a major pilot being furloughed because his job was moved to the commuters and a commuter pilot furloughed because a major pilot down bid into his job. Somebody will be furloughed. How would you like to decide the matter. Would you use years of airline flying? ALPA seniority? Number of dependents? Number of ex-wives (same thing!). My only test would be if the commuter was genuinely independent of the major the commuter pilot wins. If the commuter was established by help from the major airline the major airline pilot wins. Grey areas I know.

Otherwise, welcome to the wonderful World of Aviation.

[411A]

Hmmm, and there we have it folks, the major carrier guys, who now find themselves on the street (due in part to the majors' high cost structure, in no small part due to excessive pilot salaries) NOW want to move into the regional jets, and force OUT the very guys that have made regional airlines the success that they are today.
Selfishness in the extreme...just like the title says......;)

Hope the regional guys/gals are paying attention.

[BOING]

The regional jets were made the success they are today through marketing agreements with the major airlines. If the majors had decided to fight the regionals they would have purchased their own regional jets and the present regional carriers would never have had a look in. During the RJ discussion at United the management ACCEPTED the fact that a structure could have been set up where the mainline could have operated RJs for the same cost as the commuter carriers. The pilots at United considered they had a reason to make this possible. United management went ahead and outsourced the RJ flying regardless.

Certain major carriers have assisted in the purchase of RJs for their commuter partners. This money came from the efforts of the pilots who are now being furloughed. Even at this late date as United pilots are talking of large pay cuts and extra pilots are to be furloughed United management is still talking of increased RJ operations.

The predictions came true. The first RJ that was put into operation by a commuter was the thin end of the wedge. It was used by the various airlines to win a "we must do it too or we will not be competitive" argument.Initially the introduction of RJs on mainline routes was disguised by economic arguments of necessity. Now RJs are assigned to mainline routes with no explanation whatsoever.

Of course, what 411 does not see is that it is the end of the line for RJ growth. Airlines love RJs because they are cheap and can cover a "thin" route or add frequency without diluting load factors. Unfortunately, he is looking at this picture from a wannabe airline operator point of view. In the big picture RJs will become a problem and the airlines will find they are not the ones calling the shots. The major airports will be the deciding factor. Little Podunck loves RJs because they provide twice daily service both ways to BigCity one hour away. Unfortunately, BigCity has an overloaded airport which only just copes in good conditions. As more RJ operations are added and the weather gets bad delays at BigCity airport will begin to soar. Now BigCity depends on conventions and tourists and business travellers, most of whom come from at least a couple of hours away. They do not travel on RJs but they do travel by the thousand at convention time. So we have one RJ taking up the same movement time to deliver twenty passengers from Little Podunk (which is not one of the financial centres of the nation) as one mid-size aircraft with 180 passengers who do want to come for the business and conventions. Eventually the airport operators, with a little help from the chamber of commerce, will work this out. and the pressure will be on. It will take a couple of years before the crunch comes but the sales of RJs are about to take a nose-dive.

Suggestion 411. If you want to start an airline and you find RJs so attractive why do you not go out and buy yourself a few dozen. Apparently you think this would be a great investment and Bombadier, whose sales are down, might give you a good deal. You would not want those nasty ALPA pilots to crew them and your payscale may not be competative with the present commuters but you could always find a few 135 pilots who are desparate for a job. Of course, you would have to spend a lot of time and money getting them up to your standards but that would be better than hiring someone who already knows what they are doing!

[Amazon man]

And I wonder why I've had enough of aviation as a career , what a nasty petty small minded my aeroplanes bigger than yours type of business its become, roll on retirement.

[surplus1]

Nothing personal sir. Perhaps I misinterpreted your post. I know or rather am acquainted with all of the people you mentioned at ASA. The founder, organizer and backbone of the RJDC is Dan F. with two other Comair pilots, both named as litigants. I happen to be a Comair pilot, so I do know the players as well as their motives.

The issues are controversial and candidly, most don't even understad them, particularly Delta pilots. It will have to run its course. About all I can say is that a make believe love in will not solve ALPA's DFR problems.

If the Duty of Fair Representation can be ignored, the purpose of the union is no longer meaningful. Sad.

[ironbutt57]

Believe ALPO lost the plot years ago..

[Huck]

Dear Surplus1-

you are a gentleman, sir, and Comair has some hope if guys like you are in its cockpits.

In watching this whole tragedy unfold, both inside ASA and then later from the sidelines, I cannot help but be reminded of the characters in the book "The Winds of War." At some point WWII became inevitable, and the characters were left to prepare themselves, while cursing the waste and stupidity of it all.

No, Ironbutt, I don't think you can use the term ALPA like it's some monotheistic beast. ALPA is just people, just personalities. Sometimes the leaders can be so enlightened as to advance the lot of the whole industry. Sometimes they are so selfish they bring the house down around them. And sometimes they're just in between, torn between a pilot group's near term and long term good.

The problem with Comair and (to a lesser extent, ASA) is that the b!tch is already in the house - that is, you have two distinct groups of pilots, those that want to move on to a bigger company and those that don't. So there's the first conflict. Then you have connection vs. mainline, where the RJ's are simultaneously propping up an ailing industry and sucking away much-needed capital - and jobs. Finally there is the fierce competition among airlines for a vastly smaller market. You're right - a "love-in" isn't going to stop this war.

I wish you all the best. Back in 99 I thought Dan Ford was sneaking out to hit a crack pipe, but he was probably just much more prescient than most - the conflict is here, it must be resolved, and there ain't no white knight gonna ride in to fix it. Good luck, whatever you do.

[BOING]

Amazon man. Must be nice to be in a position where you can take a God's eye view of the situation. Please explain your philosophy to my son who is on furlough from one of the majors. I am sure he will be most comforted.

[Ignition Override]

Oh well. To rephrase some similar comments, the many assorted airline Local Council and Master Council members have different attitudes towards the regionals. I've never worked for the union, but realize, as a line pilot, that there are often so many conflicting goals within an airline, that it might be inevitable to find them within the national organization. I've stated before on Pprune how so much pressure was brought to bear upon Delta Airlines, from the ATA (the airline mgmt union/association, which often denies the existence of "pattern-bargaining") and the federal government, during the Comair strike.

I hate to see those situations where the regional pilots, who on average work harder and often much longer duty periods than many of us, are looked down on by some of our representatives, and even some line pilots (who often had no civilian flying background). But there is nothing that I can do about it, and not all reps feel that way towards their brethren, maybe not even a large majority. Don't forget, some of the guys on certain 'widebody airline' Merger Committees (I said some) even presumed to look down on jets with 100 to 145 seats, in order to justify their "expectations" in the desperate arguements to 'His Holiness', the ('Most Esteemed') Arbitrator. But not all of them used such rationalizations to the same degree.

If someone can suggest an adequate substitute for ALPA, then we can all finally be enlightened. It will be most refreshing, after years of waiting, and reading the Pprune remarks by those whose 'Schadenfreude' (joy at somebody else's harm or embarassment) motivates them. Maybe the regionals should have their own national union.

By the way, some of you guys who always 'badmouth' everything about ALPA never spent a whole career working for US airlines, but, on the otherhand, are sometimes suggesting that the regional ALPA units are a good thing, in order to highlight the second-class (or worse) service by national ALPA, so there seems to be a contradiction here. There must be many management pilots and wanabes who, considering themselves so superior to the "unwashed masses" (line pilots), would resent any regional First Officers wanting or receiving a net monthly salary which is even a few hundred dollars per above minimim wage (due to this appalling, prevailing, average FO "salary", marketplace forces or not...), because only a very strong union could hope to achieve such progress.

Tarring everyone with the same brush, as mentioned by somebody else, is simply creating an over-generalization and a fashionable "soundbyte", designed for the uninformed laymen and foreign pilots.

[thedude]

Boing,

Your son has my simpathy. I am sure that many aviators, have in the past, experienced similar situations and would not wish it on anyone.
What does disturb me, is when reading your post, I take it that you would rather see one of the ' regional guys' furloughed rather than your son. They are after all only regional pilots!
Oh I know we weren't interested in their business when things were rosy for us all, but times have changed and mabey there is some way we can justify taking their job's now.
And thus we come full circle around to the original thread.:cool:

[GlueBall]

ALPA has always been a slippery organization. I remember the days in the early 80s when the "B Scale" (Separate pay scale for new hires) phenomena came about.
A large majority of non junior pilots had voted for it to protect their own bloated salaries from evaporating.
Then, about five years later, airline labor politics suddenly changed: It became the largest labor agenda to get rid of that nasty "B Scale!" ALPA, including its "not-so-junior" members who had voted for "B Scale," were suddenly fighting with management over it, ...as if ALPA had nothing ever to do with the birth of "B Scale."

. . . Never any desperate situations, only desperate people.

[BOING]

Sorry Dude. I gave you the wrong impression. My point was that it is very easy to criticise the people facing the loss of their career when you yourself a fairly safe.
Calling people "petty and small minded" when they are struggling in a battle for survival seems extremely coarse.
By the way, for the record my son is not trying to bump to a regional. He put in three and a half years as a regional pilot before he got hired by the major. He has served his time.
I do not want to see anyone furloughed, did four years myself. (Dammit, I told my son not to follow my career pattern so closely!).
If I am making a point it is this. If your company is pure self supported, paid for its own aircraft etc. you should be absolutely safe. If some of your aircraft were paid for by your major flying partner perhaps some of those major pilots do have a point in expecting a proportional flow back into the regional.
I don't know, just a thought.

[ironbutt57]

Yes the pilots who flowed up through the regional should be allowed to flow back....to the bottom of the regional seniority list..just where the regional pilots who flow up are placed

[Elliot Moose]

Who's really helping who here? The way I heard it, Comair for one was quite a profitable entity unto itself until acquired by Delta. Now, it is a major revenue source (along with the other regionals) for Delta. If it had been left to its own devices, Comair would have no problem buying its own RJ's. Come to think of it, Comair wouldn't likely be throwing 10 SEATS out of a brand new 50 seat aircraft, if it wasn't saddled with Delta either.

The only good thing is that they only need 16 full seats to make a profit on those things. Thanks to the fine scope clause, they make 10 seats LESS profit on every flight of their new CRJ's, which is of course that much LESS profit which can be funneled into keeping Delta afloat--which is precisely where their profit is going.:rolleyes:

Yes I'll admit that Comair's F/O's are all either on food stamps or clearing tables at Denny's to make ends meet, and I do think they deserve a lot more than they have. That said though, the Barbie jets and their drivers are the only profit source going right now for Delta. If somebody doesn't pull in their horns soon (I will lump both unions and management in here)and concentrate on a way to EXPAND the profit source while keeping it profitable, Delta will go down and nobody will win.