Good news for Delta mechanics!

[The Guvnor]

From www.atwonline.com:

Delta Air Lines will increase pay for its 10,000 nonunion mechanics by an average of
16%, making them the best paid in the industry, as it confronts an organizing drive by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn. The pay increase, set to become effective in Oct., will mean that Delta's highest-paid mechanics will be earning approximately
$71,700 per year.

[redtail]

"NOW what's it doing?!?"

Sounds like Delta is paying market rates for good mechanics. Got a beef, Chief?

[Mishandled]

Sounds like the mechanics got a good deal to me. Good luck to them. I dont think Delta would pay such an amount if they didnt think that it was worth it to the company.

[Po Boy]

I read that Delta claims to have the highest paid mechanics in the industry, at $71,700. I just finished looking over the proposal that the management at American Airlines had submitted to its mechanics, and I saw that a senior mechanic at AA would make a little over $78,500 anually, and Northwest Airlines just signed a contract with their technicians, which put them in the $70,000 range also. I am told that the mechanics at UPS make even more than the mechanics at the three ailines mentioned in this post.

I would like to know which airline has the highest paid technicians??

[The Guvnor]

Actually, Redtail, if you do a quick search you'll see that my personal position is that good mechanics are equally important as good pilots - without either you're not goung anywhere. I've long believed that the pay levels for licenced mechanics should be very much higher than they are at the moment to reflect the responsibility which in many ways is actually greater than that of the pilots.

I'm very happy to see that Delta, who gave their pilots pay increases of between 20 and 40%, have seen the light on this and I hope that this is one of the trends that comes over to this side of the Atlantic.

[Mutsy]

Lets hope that these levels will soon be reflected in the UK, and that all airlines will see the value of their Engineers/Technicians/Mechanics rather than devaluing their positions.
If only us engineers could stick together and hold a united front similar to our flying collegues our lot would be a lot better.

[wryly smiling]

you show me where £50,255(equivalent of $71,700) is the market rate for engineers in the UK and I'll be first there with my C.V

[Po Boy]

Does anyone know the current status of the KLM Technicians? I heard they had a couple of labour issues with the company.

[redtail]

Currently NWA is highest paid, with AA about to vote on a tentative agreement. UPS has not negotiated yet.

I hope this trend continues, so we have someone to leap-frog in our next round of negotiations. I also hope this trend of increasing compensation extends to the folks outside of the US.

Same planes, same fuel, same jobs, same pay.

[Intruder]

The ONLY reason Delta is offering that raise is because the mechanics are VERY close to unionizing. Delta management does NOT want that, and hope to stave off the union vote...

In this case, just the THREAT of unionization may get them a significant raise. I wonder what would happen if they actually had union protection!

[raitfaiter]

Don't worry wryly smiling, your dream can come true! At last the guvnor can put his money where his mouth is and publish the pay scales for mechanics in GVA (Guvnors Virtual Airline). Any less than that already published.......

[The Guvnor]

Sorry, Stop Start - most of ours will be contracted in from third parties. At startup, we'd be trying to minimise overhead.

Here's a radical thought for you, though ... what say we just put the total pay-pot for everyone on the table (from the CEO down to the res agents) and just pay everyone the same?? Executives, pilots, cabin crew, technicians ... think it would work?

[Boss Raptor]

Must be great being unemployed, signing on the dole and able to spend your entire day 'playing' airlines Guv...do yourself and everyone else a favour and get a job (one you are capable, experienced and qualified for)!

[LevelFive]

The ONLY reason Delta is offering that raise is because the mechanics are VERY close to unionizing. Delta management does NOT want that, and hope to stave off the union vote...

BINGO That’s it Intruder.

Without a union enforced contract the company can do just about anything.

It was not long ago that Delta had a family type employer-employee relationship. Working there was not just a job. The employees had tremendous pride in the company. They liked going to work. Individual productivity was much higher because of it. Now it’s a very different environment. The bean counters can’t see the value of happy, enthusiastic, motivated employees but they can see the big stick unions have. Treating employees as if they were nothing more than cost items was a big mistake. Now Delta is nothing more than a job to its employees. They had something very special, not to mention valuable, in the service industry. The bean counters just don’t get it. It’s like an echo. What you send out comes back. Treat employees well and they will respond positively. Treating employees like cost items is the hostile attitude that makes unions necessary. In the end the company still has to pay the same. But it becomes a hostile employer-employee relationship and productivity suffers. People who knew how to motivate build great companies like Delta. Run amuck bean counters are destroying the very thing that built those companies.

[Continuous Ignition]

You think airlines would take a look at CO and WN. They both seem to have pretty high employee moral and are making money. But their employees aren't horribly underpaid.

How many of you know that CO has a drawing ever year to give away x amount of brand new Ford SUV's to people who have had perfect attendance throughout the year?