posted on April 4, 2006 09:35:13 AM new
Delta's pilots have voted to strike if their contract is rejected in arbitration. Delta says that will be the end of them if that happens.
I wouldn't buy a ticket on Delta in the near future.
Can't blame the pilots, 18% pay cut is rediculious. Would you want some pissed off pilot looking over your plane then flying you somewhere?
posted on April 4, 2006 09:52:51 AM new
Delta has long been one of the most expensive airlines going. When I used to fly all the time, their flights were regularly $2-300 more than other airlines. tThey finally cut their prices a year or so ago but by that point, I think most people were used to the always being higher and so didn't bother to price them out.
As for the 18% pay cut.... it's ridiculous right up until you realize that if the airline goes under... they get a 100% pay cut.
At some point in time, people have to utilize common sense. If your employer is losing money hand over fist and cutting their prices, thereby cutting their income, to try to keep afloat then you have accept that either you need to do your part and take the cut to keep the company alive and your job intact or you need to find another job. If when you go to find another job, you realize that everyone else in the industry is offering the same wage you are being offered. then you have to reevaluate your expectations.
I don't know what it is about union cards but there is something in the ink on them that robs their holders of common sense.
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Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on April 4, 2006 10:08:24 AM newI don't know what it is about union cards but there is something in the ink on them that robs their holders of common sense.
They don't have common sense. That's why they are in the union.
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Many misleading tricks in 2006. The new Demomoron slogan.
posted on April 4, 2006 10:09:03 AM new
Strikes have been used effectively throughout history to support workers needs. Surely, you can see that there is a limit to what you can may expect a reliable work force to accept. An eighteen percent pay reduction including a cut in benefits is simply unacceptable. Over 95% of Delta pilots voted for this strike.
posted on April 4, 2006 10:18:06 AM new
OK Helen - what is your solution?
You have a company that is losing money hand over fist and has had to cut fares to compete in the market. Where do you make your cost cuts to keep the company alive and avoid 100% pay cuts when the company goes under?
You can't sell your planes because they are you where you make your income, can't exactly cut down on maintainence so other than labor costs... what do you cut?
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Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on April 4, 2006 10:18:27 AM new
"Management has stated a pilot strike at Delta would be devastating, yet they refuse to negotiate. Delta management has the option to withdraw their 1113 motion to reject the pilots' contract, negotiate with the pilots and restore stability. Instead they continue to attack the pilots with overreaching demands, despite very substantial recent concessions by the union."
Fenix, first, Delta management will need to negotiate with the pilot's union represenatives. Why should the employees accept such a devastating cut in pay and benefits based only on a threat that the airline will fold.
An airline that cannot pay a decent salary to their pilots is an airline that is unsafe to use.
posted on April 4, 2006 10:27:40 AM new
Helen - you are talking about a company that lost 209 million dollars... in February. Not in the year 2005 in a single month. You cannot hemorrhage money like that and stay afloat.
That is reality.
There is perfect world situation where people get everything that they think is fair and that they believe they deserve but in the real world, when those people are employed but a company that loses the equalivalent of a thrid world GNP a month, where do you think the funds for those wages are going to come from?
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Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on April 4, 2006 10:59:07 AM new
As in most cases with the airlines in the past, management wants the hourly personnel to accept wage decreases while they receive bonuses.
"More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they dont get the New York Times over there.Jay Leno".
posted on April 4, 2006 11:01:26 AM new
Delta pilot union chairman Lee Moak said that while the union will strike if its contract is rejected, he doesn't expect that to happen. He believes that Delta management will take control of the situation and that they will get a settlement.
So, we shall see. I certainly will not fly on a scab airline.
posted on April 4, 2006 11:03:08 AM new
Since when are the terms "reality" and "liberal" cohabitable?
Everyone says an 18% cut is too much. Based on what? What is the average salary for the profession? ETC, ETC.
Delta will go out of business and these clowns will end up making 50% less working for some cargo outfit as a fill-in.
Only a liberal can look you in the eye and tell you why a union worker at GM has to get MORE:
When they get 80K to put on left door mirrors.
When they get 12mo pay for 10mo work.
When they get cradle to grave benefits.
When said benefits are better than 99% of everbody's.
When a Mexican auto worker gets $15k.
posted on April 4, 2006 11:44:38 AM new
I'll get blasted for this but what the heck. I hate unions fire em all and hire new ones. --NO I don't mean that but I do hate unions. I would not be pleased with an 18% pay cut but would I really want to strike and take chance of losing more? It is not a simple solution when a company is losing that much money. OR are they losing that much, it could be all garbage and the executives are losing so they just cut salaries to recoup. Will we ever really know the truth, I think not. Could it be a ploy to get the government to bail them out. I still hate unions.
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Some minds are like concrete,
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
posted on April 4, 2006 11:59:26 AM new
Irked - Delta is in bankruptcy - all of their financials are under review and control of the courts. They really did lose that much money.
Ironically, 70 million of that is costs relating to the bankruptcy (legal, accounting etc)
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Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on April 4, 2006 12:32:45 PM new
::But based on what you are saying Fenix in a true freemarket society, Delta deserves to fold and go under.::
Ron I could care less what arguementative stance you choose to take in response to anything i say but i would appreciate it if you not put words in my mouth or make conclusions based on statements I have not made.
If you don't think Delta should be in business, have the balls to say it yourself. Don't attribute it to me.
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Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on April 4, 2006 01:07:55 PM new
I think new management has been making the right steps to try to get the airline back to solvency. They have trimmed routes in over saturated markets and made moves to advance themselves in lucrative ones.
I think the pilots should agree to an 18% paycut but only on a 2 year contract. Two years from now the company has either folded or been absobred into another company or has turned themselves around and is able to support a pay increase for those that stuck with them thru the lean times.
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Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on April 4, 2006 01:54:15 PM new
I have friends who work for Delta, or perhaps I should say they are on "stand-by" for Delta. What does this mean? Well, one friend in particular still gets many Delta benefits, though she hasn't stepped worked since December 31, 2002. She still gets to fly for free, and she still gets to give her friends up to 6 passes a year to fly for free. The catch is that they have to fly standby.
I'm not sure what Delta's sellout rate is, but if people who haven't worked for 4 years are still getting free seats, I would say that Delta is charging too much money for tickets, and that by lowering prices, even by 5% could fill their seats and make up part of their so called deficit.
Reality is that I hope Delta doesn't go under, not until at least next year. I am supposed to get a pair of those passes for a flight out of the country over the holidays. It would be nice to have those free passes for Cindy and my honeymoon, but I can understand if Delta goes under, or if they pull the program from their employees, especially those who haven't worked for so long.
The biggest problem with huge corporations like Delta is that they are the victim of their own waste. Nobody tells them to lavish their corporate offices with marble floors, High Definition Televisions, Open Bar parties, giant yachts, or whatever else these huge companies blow money on. They do it for one reason... a business expense = a tax write off. It is a joke. Delta is simply more concerned about taking away from employees than from their deep money pockets of wasteful spending. It is time to cut the crap out of their budget and run their business lean.
