View Poll Results: What's your view on the future for Delta?
Strike
13
41.94%
No Strike
7
22.58%
Delta will pull through
10
32.26%
Delta will not pull through.
7
22.58%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 31. This poll is closed
Delta Pilots Union Affirms Strike Promise
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Delta Pilots Union Affirms Strike Promise
Wednesday March 22, 7:14 pm ET
Head of Pilots Union at Delta Air Lines Affirms Promise to Strike if Pay Cuts Are Imposed
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of the pilots union at embattled Delta Air Lines Inc. affirmed Wednesday the union's promise to strike if pay cuts are imposed on the 6,000 pilots while urging the two sides to reach agreement.
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Lee Moak, chairman of the union's executive committee at Delta, made the statements at the end of the eighth day of hearings before an arbitration panel. The panel must decide by April 15 whether Delta, which is operating under bankruptcy protection, can void its contract with the pilots and impose up to $325 million in long-term pay and benefit reductions.
Delta's chief executive said this week that a strike by the pilots would spell the demise of the nation's third-largest airline. Company and union representatives have not had any negotiating sessions since the hearings began, though both sides say they are willing to meet.
Moak, speaking as a witness at the hearing, said "I won't blink" if the pilots deemed a strike to be warranted.
"We should be working together. We shouldn't be fighting over a couple hundred million dollars," he said.
Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks said after the hearing, "This isn't about our deep appreciation of our pilots. It's about getting all of our costs to market levels, including our pilots', in order to successfully restructure and preserve nearly 50,000 jobs, including 6,000 pilots' jobs."
Meanwhile, picketing by Delta pilots continued Wednesday at airports in Los Angeles and outside Cincinnati. The pilots also have bought space on large billboards on a road near the airline's headquarters in Atlanta. One says: "Gone with the wind? Delta has not funded employee pensions since July 2005." Another says: "Airline managements come and go. It's the employees who keep Delta flying."
Head of Pilots Union at Delta Air Lines Affirms Promise to Strike if Pay Cuts Are Imposed
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of the pilots union at embattled Delta Air Lines Inc. affirmed Wednesday the union's promise to strike if pay cuts are imposed on the 6,000 pilots while urging the two sides to reach agreement.
ADVERTISEMENT
Lee Moak, chairman of the union's executive committee at Delta, made the statements at the end of the eighth day of hearings before an arbitration panel. The panel must decide by April 15 whether Delta, which is operating under bankruptcy protection, can void its contract with the pilots and impose up to $325 million in long-term pay and benefit reductions.
Delta's chief executive said this week that a strike by the pilots would spell the demise of the nation's third-largest airline. Company and union representatives have not had any negotiating sessions since the hearings began, though both sides say they are willing to meet.
Moak, speaking as a witness at the hearing, said "I won't blink" if the pilots deemed a strike to be warranted.
"We should be working together. We shouldn't be fighting over a couple hundred million dollars," he said.
Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks said after the hearing, "This isn't about our deep appreciation of our pilots. It's about getting all of our costs to market levels, including our pilots', in order to successfully restructure and preserve nearly 50,000 jobs, including 6,000 pilots' jobs."
Meanwhile, picketing by Delta pilots continued Wednesday at airports in Los Angeles and outside Cincinnati. The pilots also have bought space on large billboards on a road near the airline's headquarters in Atlanta. One says: "Gone with the wind? Delta has not funded employee pensions since July 2005." Another says: "Airline managements come and go. It's the employees who keep Delta flying."
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Delta pilots vote to authorize a strike
Reuters
New York, April 5
Delta Air Lines Inc's pilots union said on Tuesday its members have voted to authorize a strike if the bankrupt airline is allowed to proceed with a plan to slash their wages and benefits.
About 95 per cent of the pilots voted in favor of the authorization, freeing their union to strike if an arbitration panel rules in favor of more than $300 million in pay reductions that the airline said it needs to survive.
More than 96 per cent of the 6,000 pilots voted, the Air Line Pilots Association said in a statement.
The move is the latest in a series of steps that the union must take before it can call a strike and comes just days before a third-party arbitration panel is scheduled to rule on whether the airline should be allowed to reject its existing contract with the pilots.
Union spokeswoman Kelly Collins said that even though the arbitration panel's decision would be binding, it did not take away the pilots' right to strike.
"It doesn't mean that rejection would be acceptable," Collins said. "(Delta's) demands are overreaching ... and there have been no meaningful negotiations by Delta's senior executives."
Atlanta-based Delta, which filed for bankruptcy in September, has asked the pilots for the givebacks, part of about $3 billion in cost savings and revenue increases it says it needs to survive.
Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks said the airline remained "committed to seeking a consensual agreement," adding that the strike authorization vote would not disrupt service.
The airline initially asked the US Bankruptcy Court to let it reject its contract with the pilots, its only major unionized work force. But the two sides reached a deal in December to have the issue decided by a three-person panel if they failed to negotiate a permanent agreement by March 1.
The panel is scheduled to rule on April 15.
The union, which agreed to a previous round of pay cuts to help Delta avoid an earlier brush with bankruptcy, has said that the airline's demands are excessive, noting that they agreed to a 32.5 percent pay cut just 15 months ago.
The No 3 US carrier is calling for givebacks that include another 18 per cent pay reduction.
Strike threats are "a typical step to gain leverage at the bargaining table," Anthony Sabino, a business law expert and professor at St John's University, said in a note.
But if the union follows through on the threat, it would almost certainly be the end of the airline, he said.
"Given its precarious position as one of many troubled legacy carriers, a strike could push it over the edge and out of business," he said.
Delta's deadlock with the pilots stands in contrast to rival Northwest Airlines, the No 5 US carrier, which filed for bankruptcy in September on the same day as Delta.
Northwest succeeded a month ago in striking a tentative deal with its pilots on $358 million in annual cost savings. The airline's 5,000 pilots are due to start voting on the new contract on Thursday.
Reuters
New York, April 5
Delta Air Lines Inc's pilots union said on Tuesday its members have voted to authorize a strike if the bankrupt airline is allowed to proceed with a plan to slash their wages and benefits.
About 95 per cent of the pilots voted in favor of the authorization, freeing their union to strike if an arbitration panel rules in favor of more than $300 million in pay reductions that the airline said it needs to survive.
More than 96 per cent of the 6,000 pilots voted, the Air Line Pilots Association said in a statement.
The move is the latest in a series of steps that the union must take before it can call a strike and comes just days before a third-party arbitration panel is scheduled to rule on whether the airline should be allowed to reject its existing contract with the pilots.
Union spokeswoman Kelly Collins said that even though the arbitration panel's decision would be binding, it did not take away the pilots' right to strike.
"It doesn't mean that rejection would be acceptable," Collins said. "(Delta's) demands are overreaching ... and there have been no meaningful negotiations by Delta's senior executives."
Atlanta-based Delta, which filed for bankruptcy in September, has asked the pilots for the givebacks, part of about $3 billion in cost savings and revenue increases it says it needs to survive.
Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks said the airline remained "committed to seeking a consensual agreement," adding that the strike authorization vote would not disrupt service.
The airline initially asked the US Bankruptcy Court to let it reject its contract with the pilots, its only major unionized work force. But the two sides reached a deal in December to have the issue decided by a three-person panel if they failed to negotiate a permanent agreement by March 1.
The panel is scheduled to rule on April 15.
The union, which agreed to a previous round of pay cuts to help Delta avoid an earlier brush with bankruptcy, has said that the airline's demands are excessive, noting that they agreed to a 32.5 percent pay cut just 15 months ago.
The No 3 US carrier is calling for givebacks that include another 18 per cent pay reduction.
Strike threats are "a typical step to gain leverage at the bargaining table," Anthony Sabino, a business law expert and professor at St John's University, said in a note.
But if the union follows through on the threat, it would almost certainly be the end of the airline, he said.
"Given its precarious position as one of many troubled legacy carriers, a strike could push it over the edge and out of business," he said.
Delta's deadlock with the pilots stands in contrast to rival Northwest Airlines, the No 5 US carrier, which filed for bankruptcy in September on the same day as Delta.
Northwest succeeded a month ago in striking a tentative deal with its pilots on $358 million in annual cost savings. The airline's 5,000 pilots are due to start voting on the new contract on Thursday.
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DAL pilots clearing out their lockers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on Fri, Apr. 07, 2006
Delta pilots prepare for possible strike
Associated Press
ATLANTA - The pilots union at Delta Air Lines Inc. ordered members to clear their lockers Friday in anticipation of a possible strike the union says is "becoming more likely every day."
The union representing the airline's 5,930 pilots is in a protracted dispute with management over long-term pay and benefit cuts that Atlanta-based Delta is seeking.
The company has asked an arbitration panel to void its contract with pilots so it can impose up to $325 million in cuts. The pilots union has said it will strike if the contract is thrown out.
The panel must rule by April 15, and the pilots have given their union leader authorization to call a strike anytime after April 17.
The union says its action Friday was to prepare for the possibility of a strike by having pilots remove flight gear and personal belongings from their lockers in crew rooms across the country.
The union said removing the items will prevent senior executives at the nation's third-largest carrier from blocking access to the equipment by a lockout.
Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks said the airline's "focus will remain and our energies will remain on the critical issue of reaching a consensual agreement," adding that "that's the most important action, and in everyone's best interest."
Posted on Fri, Apr. 07, 2006
Delta pilots prepare for possible strike
Associated Press
ATLANTA - The pilots union at Delta Air Lines Inc. ordered members to clear their lockers Friday in anticipation of a possible strike the union says is "becoming more likely every day."
The union representing the airline's 5,930 pilots is in a protracted dispute with management over long-term pay and benefit cuts that Atlanta-based Delta is seeking.
The company has asked an arbitration panel to void its contract with pilots so it can impose up to $325 million in cuts. The pilots union has said it will strike if the contract is thrown out.
The panel must rule by April 15, and the pilots have given their union leader authorization to call a strike anytime after April 17.
The union says its action Friday was to prepare for the possibility of a strike by having pilots remove flight gear and personal belongings from their lockers in crew rooms across the country.
The union said removing the items will prevent senior executives at the nation's third-largest carrier from blocking access to the equipment by a lockout.
Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks said the airline's "focus will remain and our energies will remain on the critical issue of reaching a consensual agreement," adding that "that's the most important action, and in everyone's best interest."
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Delta Pilots, I feel your pain. Without a doubt, a series of disastrous mistakes by management, that brought Delta where it is.
Good luck. I hope things will get better someday for Delta.
I would hate to lose my frequent flyer miles.
Good luck. I hope things will get better someday for Delta.
I would hate to lose my frequent flyer miles.
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Delta, Pilots Union Reach Tentative Deal By HARRY R. WEBER, AP Business Writer
1 hour, 14 minutes ago
ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. and negotiators for its pilots union reached a tentative agreement Friday on long-term pay and benefit cuts that could avert a strike at the nation's third largest carrier and ease uncertainty among travelers over the busy holiday weekend.
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No details of the agreement were released, but the deal means the two sides have cleared a major hurdle though they are not out of the woods yet. The deal is subject to ratification by the airline's 5,930 pilots and must be approved by the bankruptcy court.
The pilots union had threatened to strike if its contract was thrown out. Delta, which has been operating under bankruptcy protection since September, has said in court papers that a pilot strike would put it out of business.
An arbitration panel had until Saturday to reach a decision on Delta's request to throw out its pilot contract so it could impose up to $325 million in annual pay and benefit cuts. That decision is now on hold with the tentative agreement, but it could resurface if the rank-and-file pilots reject the agreement. No date for a vote was set.
"I'm very pleased the parties have reached a tentative agreement," the panel chairman, Richard Bloch, told The Associated Press.
The deal, if approved, would replace an interim pay cut deal the two sides reached in December.
In a statement, Delta said the airline believes passengers can book with confidence.
"We have worked hard together as a team to forge an agreement that is good for Delta and all of its constituents," said Delta's chief financial officer, Ed Bastian.
Meanwhile, talks are continuing between Delta's wholly owned subsidiary, Comair, and its flight attendants. A federal bankruptcy judge agreed this week to postpone until Monday a decision on whether to void Comair's contract with its flight attendants. Both sides requested the postponement to allow more time for negotiations.
The regional airline, based just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Erlanger, Ky., filed for bankruptcy protection along with Delta last year. Comair is seeking $8.9 million in wage cuts and other savings from the flight attendants.
Delta's pilot strike threat had unnerved passengers, some of whom scrambled to make alternate travel plans over the holiday weekend. The threat also hurt bookings on the Atlanta-based airline.
Delta's mainline carrier operates 1,722 daily flights and had more than 118 million passengers last year. It has its second-largest hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
In a memo to Delta pilots, the chairman of the union's executive committee, Lee Moak, said the deal was reached early Friday morning. He said the union's governing body will meet in the next week to discuss the deal and determine whether to recommend it to the membership.
"We will not hurry," Moak said. "We will proceed in an unrushed, methodical manner."
Delta's pilots previously agreed to $1 billion in annual concessions, including a 32.5 percent wage cut, in a five-year deal in 2004. But Delta, which has imposed pay cuts on other employees, said it needs more from its pilots.
The company says the average earnings of pilots last year who worked the full year was more than $157,000. But the pilots union has said the figure was inflated by overtime and they have projected a significant decrease in average pilot earnings for 2006.
The negotiations between the company and the union picked up steam on Tuesday, when negotiators for both sides intensified talks at the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York. Those talks continued through the night Thursday.
Delta pilot Keith Rosenkranz, who has been with the company 15 years and generally flies international routes to Europe and South America, said he's not sure how he will vote on the deal. He said he needs to see the details first.
"I was a little worried last night that my last landing in Rome was the last of my career," said Rosenkranz, who lives in Grapevine, Texas.
He said he's glad at least there is some sort of resolution, though union member ratification is still an unanswered question.
"I think the Delta pilots have always been willing to help the company in a time of need," Rosenkranz said. "We've proven that repeatedly over the years. But there does come a point when you have to stand up for your profession and the things that you negotiated in good faith, and if the company is not willing to recognize that then I'm not going to vote for something that continues to take."
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, passengers said they were relieved by news of the tentative deal.
"I just had my fingers crossed," said Rose Shefrin of Baltimore, as she waited to pick up her baggage after having arrived on a Delta flight for a few days with relatives. "I had hoped that they would work it out and I'm so happy that they did."
___
Associated Press Writer Doug Gross in Atlanta contributed to this report.
1 hour, 14 minutes ago
ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. and negotiators for its pilots union reached a tentative agreement Friday on long-term pay and benefit cuts that could avert a strike at the nation's third largest carrier and ease uncertainty among travelers over the busy holiday weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
No details of the agreement were released, but the deal means the two sides have cleared a major hurdle though they are not out of the woods yet. The deal is subject to ratification by the airline's 5,930 pilots and must be approved by the bankruptcy court.
The pilots union had threatened to strike if its contract was thrown out. Delta, which has been operating under bankruptcy protection since September, has said in court papers that a pilot strike would put it out of business.
An arbitration panel had until Saturday to reach a decision on Delta's request to throw out its pilot contract so it could impose up to $325 million in annual pay and benefit cuts. That decision is now on hold with the tentative agreement, but it could resurface if the rank-and-file pilots reject the agreement. No date for a vote was set.
"I'm very pleased the parties have reached a tentative agreement," the panel chairman, Richard Bloch, told The Associated Press.
The deal, if approved, would replace an interim pay cut deal the two sides reached in December.
In a statement, Delta said the airline believes passengers can book with confidence.
"We have worked hard together as a team to forge an agreement that is good for Delta and all of its constituents," said Delta's chief financial officer, Ed Bastian.
Meanwhile, talks are continuing between Delta's wholly owned subsidiary, Comair, and its flight attendants. A federal bankruptcy judge agreed this week to postpone until Monday a decision on whether to void Comair's contract with its flight attendants. Both sides requested the postponement to allow more time for negotiations.
The regional airline, based just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Erlanger, Ky., filed for bankruptcy protection along with Delta last year. Comair is seeking $8.9 million in wage cuts and other savings from the flight attendants.
Delta's pilot strike threat had unnerved passengers, some of whom scrambled to make alternate travel plans over the holiday weekend. The threat also hurt bookings on the Atlanta-based airline.
Delta's mainline carrier operates 1,722 daily flights and had more than 118 million passengers last year. It has its second-largest hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
In a memo to Delta pilots, the chairman of the union's executive committee, Lee Moak, said the deal was reached early Friday morning. He said the union's governing body will meet in the next week to discuss the deal and determine whether to recommend it to the membership.
"We will not hurry," Moak said. "We will proceed in an unrushed, methodical manner."
Delta's pilots previously agreed to $1 billion in annual concessions, including a 32.5 percent wage cut, in a five-year deal in 2004. But Delta, which has imposed pay cuts on other employees, said it needs more from its pilots.
The company says the average earnings of pilots last year who worked the full year was more than $157,000. But the pilots union has said the figure was inflated by overtime and they have projected a significant decrease in average pilot earnings for 2006.
The negotiations between the company and the union picked up steam on Tuesday, when negotiators for both sides intensified talks at the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York. Those talks continued through the night Thursday.
Delta pilot Keith Rosenkranz, who has been with the company 15 years and generally flies international routes to Europe and South America, said he's not sure how he will vote on the deal. He said he needs to see the details first.
"I was a little worried last night that my last landing in Rome was the last of my career," said Rosenkranz, who lives in Grapevine, Texas.
He said he's glad at least there is some sort of resolution, though union member ratification is still an unanswered question.
"I think the Delta pilots have always been willing to help the company in a time of need," Rosenkranz said. "We've proven that repeatedly over the years. But there does come a point when you have to stand up for your profession and the things that you negotiated in good faith, and if the company is not willing to recognize that then I'm not going to vote for something that continues to take."
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, passengers said they were relieved by news of the tentative deal.
"I just had my fingers crossed," said Rose Shefrin of Baltimore, as she waited to pick up her baggage after having arrived on a Delta flight for a few days with relatives. "I had hoped that they would work it out and I'm so happy that they did."
___
Associated Press Writer Doug Gross in Atlanta contributed to this report.
In their TA, does the company contribute a salary percentage into a retirement fund?
Does it have a 4:30 credit minimum day, or maybe a 5 hour average etc?
When do they park the last of their 737s?
Do they get full pay for deadhead legs? This gives a company incentives for productivity. Without full deadhead pay and very restrictive rigs, airlines actually prefer inefficient crew utilization.
Paradixically, managements prefer to be allowed (if a lousy contract permits it) to schedule and utilize crews in a sloppy, wasteful manner. This is why 'rigs' were created.
Are these trip/duty 'rigs' about equal to the industry average at other US majors (..not including Southwest.This company is not a hub and spoke operation-it was designed for efficiency)?
What parts of the Delta TA differ from other TAs?
What cost-of-living pay increases are included?
Or will the Delta pilots' purchasing power decrease an extra 10-15% by the end of the contract, due to lack of provisions for typical inflation? Never mind the unpredictable ballooning costs for medical costs and health insurance. Only a very limited number of students per year can attend medical school-reportedly one of the major factors in upward cost spirals here.
Off the subject, but the US might be the only so-called "modern" industrialized nation where a major health problem can lead to the loss (selling it to pay medical bills) of one's home.
Does it have a 4:30 credit minimum day, or maybe a 5 hour average etc?
When do they park the last of their 737s?
Do they get full pay for deadhead legs? This gives a company incentives for productivity. Without full deadhead pay and very restrictive rigs, airlines actually prefer inefficient crew utilization.
Paradixically, managements prefer to be allowed (if a lousy contract permits it) to schedule and utilize crews in a sloppy, wasteful manner. This is why 'rigs' were created.
Are these trip/duty 'rigs' about equal to the industry average at other US majors (..not including Southwest.This company is not a hub and spoke operation-it was designed for efficiency)?
What parts of the Delta TA differ from other TAs?
What cost-of-living pay increases are included?
Or will the Delta pilots' purchasing power decrease an extra 10-15% by the end of the contract, due to lack of provisions for typical inflation? Never mind the unpredictable ballooning costs for medical costs and health insurance. Only a very limited number of students per year can attend medical school-reportedly one of the major factors in upward cost spirals here.
Off the subject, but the US might be the only so-called "modern" industrialized nation where a major health problem can lead to the loss (selling it to pay medical bills) of one's home.
Last edited by Ignition Override; 17th Apr 2006 at 01:08.
