SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Der Fuhrer is making more friends on the NWA side of the house:
DELTA Council 54
March 16, 2010
STATE OF OUR UNION
It is no surprise to us that the resignation of Captain Watts from his ALPA volunteer position has generated serious concern among many pilots and has been noted throughout ALPA. He is not just any pilot, and his act is indicative of the situation we find ourselves in. His extraordinary service on behalf of his fellow pilots over the past 25 years is legendary. Captain Watts’s selfless dedication in advocating in behalf of the line pilots without regard to partisan politics, his utter competence, impeccable integrity, and just basic decency are standards that all of us should strive to achieve. It is not good news that he brought to light this week. It is very discouraging that a patient gentleman of Ken’s caliber felt compelled to write the resignation letter attached. We thank Captain Watts for his service, courage, and fundamental instinct to do what is right.
First, though, we want to give you our perspective on what is going on now. We have been speaking with many of you and find that most you feel the same way about what we are experiencing. We have given the following topics much thought, and we encourage your comments.
1. No matter the happy talk we get from Delta ALPA or management, we get that we “are acquired not hired.” It never matters so much what is said as what is done. Lip service is just that, lip service. Whether one likes it or not, although we are a minority, there are a lot us; we have not been included, and we don’t buy into the “process.” If a group believes it is not being treated fairly, then the distrust in the organization starts, and it is so difficult to stop. Witness American’s APA and the killer Bs that started in the Miami domicile, or the debacle at US Airways.
2. We started off as a combined MEC on January 17, 2009, with the selection of the MEC officers being made without regard to the wishes of the representatives of the 5,000 former NWA pilots. It was dictated by Captain Moak, his administration, and the former Delta representatives (who outnumbered us 13 to 12) informing us as to who the four MEC officers of the new MEC would be. We told them then that it was politically unsound to lock us out from picking some of the MEC officers. No dice . . . they ran over us. Of course, you know that the Delta MEC chairman selected is none other than the architect of Letter 19, which, had not our NWA ALPA leadership manufactured leverage in the ensuing months prior to the JCBA, would have subjected us to a three-year B scale while the real Delta pilots had their stuff all wrapped up in a bow with their hometown management. How do you think that divisiveness would have worked out for the corporation? What do you think of Chairman Moak’s judgment? Honestly, how would the former Delta pilots have responded had they been dictated to in such a manner on January 17, 2009?
3. Our NWA leadership went to ALPA National (the Executive Council) to get guarantees of fair process of grievances after the merger. Captain Moak argued that these protections were unnecessary, and the Executive Council bought his story. Our own EVP, Captain Ray Miller, voted against the wishes of the NWA MEC to help shoot us down. So as a result, the MEC chairman of the new Delta MEC, Captain Moak, has the final say on all grievances. These include the former NWA grievances, such as duty/trip rig and crew augmentation, which he has blocked, delayed, and maneuvered for over one year now despite our efforts to get them to an arbitrator. Chairman Moak settled our merger money grievance without a credible former NWA advocate involved. We could have possibly gotten money back from the fund into our pilots’ hands, but we don’t know the final accounting. We told Chairman Moak that unless one of our three former MEC officers or Captain Watts was satisfied that we got all the money coming to us that we should be getting, then “it was not possible for us to buy into the process.” It was our grievance, not his, as it had nothing to do with his business. Moak informed the MEC that the subject was “suitcased” and that he did not want the subject brought up anymore. How convenient, but we don’t buy into the “process.” We don’t know if we got all of our money or not. The same is true regarding our rig and augmentation grievances. We went on road shows, which were vetted by Real Delta, and stated that we matched up immediately. Why won’t the chairman send this to arbitration? Did he already make a deal? Is this the new “unionism” that he talks about?
4. We understand that there are a limited number of arbitrators in this business and that they might be reluctant to rule against the largest airline in the world for fear of losing future business, but we still believe it worthwhile to pursue grievances. The SLI result was not pretty. The me-too decision was ugly as well. However, we will press on when we believe our contract has been violated. People have to have a credible process to seek redress for perceived harm. If it is demonstrated to the membership that unions or arbitration hearings cannot be trusted to yield a fair process to resolve their issues, then the issues will naturally flow into the courtrooms. People have to believe in the “process,” and ordering them to believe is laughable.
5. We heard that the former NWA Merger Committee is now comprised of Captain Steve Mayer as chairman and two other members whom Mayer appointed - Captain Bill Bartels and Captain Ed Mueller, both friends of Captain Mayer’s who fly out of DTW. These three friends were all hired in the summer of 1995. Gee, how convenient is this? These guys are going to handle any SLI DRC claims such as the aircraft-replacement disputes. No, we do not buy into this either.
6. We are concerned about pension funding issues, as every employee on this property should be. We know from history that pilot contracts are under duress for at least a third of a pilot’s 20-plus - year career. Economic duress will surely once again return to this property in the future. When that time comes, the lack of funding of the pensions along with other liabilities may allow management to send this corporation back into the bankruptcy court. This is where the entire contract - i.e., pay, work rules, way of life, not just the pensions, may be savaged yet again. Ensuring healthy pension funding is vital to every pilot and other employee on this property. Just because it is legal to find ways to fund minimum amounts does not mean it is in the employees’ best interest to do so. In fact, it might be detrimental to the financial well-being of all of us. We have been asking the administration for a year for an analysis of all pilot retirements.
7. Under Chairman Moak’s regime, no committee member may talk directly to a member of the MEC. All such contacts will be made through the administration. If a member of the MEC contacts a committee member, that member is to inform the administration as to what was said. It is semi-humorous that this rule is ostensibly imposed so that the administration can keep abreast of the issues, but it is such a thinly disguised form of censorship and intimidation as to be sadly humorous. Can you imagine the vetting anyone addressing the MEC must go through with regard to the content of their presentation? We are positive that we don’t hear anything that the chairman does not want us to hear from his committees. What kind of effect does that have on our decision-making process? Also, we have come to learn that anyone who disagrees with the Moak administration is a whiner. At a special meeting last month, Chairman Moak admonished us before a vote on an LOA that it was our “right” to vote no but that it was in essence a bad thing to vote no on anything brought forth by the Negotiating Committee. WOW!
It turns out that if someone has an opposing view to the Moak administration, it is because of “political” reasons. Ironic, because Chairman Moak’s job and indeed that of the entire MEC is entirely political. Apparently, you can only be on the righteous side of an issue if you agree with him. We have never witnessed anything like this, but we have read about it in various history books of the always-doomed-to-fail control-freak regimes.
8. The MEC will meet March 23 through March 26 in Orlando, FL. It is one of three regularly scheduled meetings this year. There will be an election for the Negotiating Committee and some briefing on the pension. This Negotiating Committee could be the one that takes the pilot group through the next contract.
Also, the MEC will be asked to ratify Chairman Moak’s choice for the chairman of the Delta MEC Security Committee, Captain Jon Lewis. Captain Lewis needs no introduction to many of you, but we are going to mention here two deeds that he committed, and we can go into further details of his history if anyone would like by phone. First, during his term as a MSP rep on the MEC, he instigated a physical altercation with the vice chairman of the NWA MEC in the lobby of the Holiday Inn. This is where ALPA volunteers, instructor pilots, and students as well as airline passengers have stayed for years. He yelled vile obscenities at the same time. There were people standing around who knew he was an NWA pilot. The vice chairman had been minding his own business when he was accosted by Lewis. Can you imagine what people thought about Lewis and, by association, the rest of the pilot group? Secondly, Council 55 put on an annual Alaska Fish Fry every summer for pilots and their wives and children. It was a fun outdoor barbecue with all types of food and beer. People flew in from all over. Well, one year Captain Lewis attended wearing a sidearm and had to be convinced by a fellow pilot that he could not wear a sidearm in such an environment. Captain Moak knows about Captain Lewis’s history, but apparently the story is that Captain Lewis is the best candidate available. If true, do not appoint anyone until a quality candidate is trained, and in the meantime the administration can use Captain Hesselbein to oversee the committee. Never mind Captain Lewis’s stories and his judgment, what about Captain Moak’s judgment in appointing Lewis chairman of the Delta MEC Security Committee?
9. Chairman Moak obviously has his eye on expanding his empire to ALPA National this fall. Of course, he will attempt to install a puppet regime in Atlanta that he can depend on while he is running the big show in DC. All 50,000 members of our union are represented by about 300 voting delegates who are voting in October and have a great deal to consider when deciding what kind of a union they want ALPA to be in the future. Chairman Moak is big on giving commitments, but it has been a harsh lesson in what the definition means in the arena of deMOAKcracy in which we exist. It certainly is not Webster’s definition. He did not live up to his word at the Executive Council, nor his word to Captain Watts, but that does not surprise those that have dealt with him. He can’t even keep the commitment that he made to the MEC at our last July meeting to give those of us who want it a written copy of the Chairman’s Report that he reads at every scheduled MEC meeting. After additional prodding, like what you would give to a child, to get him to fulfill that small commitment, he sent us some pathetic bullet points but NOT the report that he read to MEC in October.
10. Sometimes when we listen to the speakers in the front of the room we think we are listening to management, but it is our administration whose lips are moving. We need to fix some things to get our quality of life up. Jumpseats, IT, bidding, get someone to answer e-mails and/or phone calls and have E&FA honestly value our LOAs - i.e., what are we getting/giving up.
11. It has been enlightening to go through this acquisition. We found out that we didn’t have or do anything worthwhile. We are being cleansed of our prior professional life and now are the luckiest pilots in the world, because we now get to wear the Delta uniform. We found out that there are only two types of pilots in this world: (1) Delta pilots and (2) pilots who wanted to be Delta pilots but just could not cut the mustard. A common thread in dealing with Delta ALPA and management types is that despite the lip service, there is a basic lack of understanding of the fact that although the name remained the same, BOTH airlines are gone. THIS airline will travel an unnecessarily difficult road if we don’t wise up.
12. Look to your left, look to your right. These are the people who will take care of you. Take care of each other.
Fly Safe,
[Rep names and contact info redacted]
DELTA Council 54
March 16, 2010
STATE OF OUR UNION
It is no surprise to us that the resignation of Captain Watts from his ALPA volunteer position has generated serious concern among many pilots and has been noted throughout ALPA. He is not just any pilot, and his act is indicative of the situation we find ourselves in. His extraordinary service on behalf of his fellow pilots over the past 25 years is legendary. Captain Watts’s selfless dedication in advocating in behalf of the line pilots without regard to partisan politics, his utter competence, impeccable integrity, and just basic decency are standards that all of us should strive to achieve. It is not good news that he brought to light this week. It is very discouraging that a patient gentleman of Ken’s caliber felt compelled to write the resignation letter attached. We thank Captain Watts for his service, courage, and fundamental instinct to do what is right.
First, though, we want to give you our perspective on what is going on now. We have been speaking with many of you and find that most you feel the same way about what we are experiencing. We have given the following topics much thought, and we encourage your comments.
1. No matter the happy talk we get from Delta ALPA or management, we get that we “are acquired not hired.” It never matters so much what is said as what is done. Lip service is just that, lip service. Whether one likes it or not, although we are a minority, there are a lot us; we have not been included, and we don’t buy into the “process.” If a group believes it is not being treated fairly, then the distrust in the organization starts, and it is so difficult to stop. Witness American’s APA and the killer Bs that started in the Miami domicile, or the debacle at US Airways.
2. We started off as a combined MEC on January 17, 2009, with the selection of the MEC officers being made without regard to the wishes of the representatives of the 5,000 former NWA pilots. It was dictated by Captain Moak, his administration, and the former Delta representatives (who outnumbered us 13 to 12) informing us as to who the four MEC officers of the new MEC would be. We told them then that it was politically unsound to lock us out from picking some of the MEC officers. No dice . . . they ran over us. Of course, you know that the Delta MEC chairman selected is none other than the architect of Letter 19, which, had not our NWA ALPA leadership manufactured leverage in the ensuing months prior to the JCBA, would have subjected us to a three-year B scale while the real Delta pilots had their stuff all wrapped up in a bow with their hometown management. How do you think that divisiveness would have worked out for the corporation? What do you think of Chairman Moak’s judgment? Honestly, how would the former Delta pilots have responded had they been dictated to in such a manner on January 17, 2009?
3. Our NWA leadership went to ALPA National (the Executive Council) to get guarantees of fair process of grievances after the merger. Captain Moak argued that these protections were unnecessary, and the Executive Council bought his story. Our own EVP, Captain Ray Miller, voted against the wishes of the NWA MEC to help shoot us down. So as a result, the MEC chairman of the new Delta MEC, Captain Moak, has the final say on all grievances. These include the former NWA grievances, such as duty/trip rig and crew augmentation, which he has blocked, delayed, and maneuvered for over one year now despite our efforts to get them to an arbitrator. Chairman Moak settled our merger money grievance without a credible former NWA advocate involved. We could have possibly gotten money back from the fund into our pilots’ hands, but we don’t know the final accounting. We told Chairman Moak that unless one of our three former MEC officers or Captain Watts was satisfied that we got all the money coming to us that we should be getting, then “it was not possible for us to buy into the process.” It was our grievance, not his, as it had nothing to do with his business. Moak informed the MEC that the subject was “suitcased” and that he did not want the subject brought up anymore. How convenient, but we don’t buy into the “process.” We don’t know if we got all of our money or not. The same is true regarding our rig and augmentation grievances. We went on road shows, which were vetted by Real Delta, and stated that we matched up immediately. Why won’t the chairman send this to arbitration? Did he already make a deal? Is this the new “unionism” that he talks about?
4. We understand that there are a limited number of arbitrators in this business and that they might be reluctant to rule against the largest airline in the world for fear of losing future business, but we still believe it worthwhile to pursue grievances. The SLI result was not pretty. The me-too decision was ugly as well. However, we will press on when we believe our contract has been violated. People have to have a credible process to seek redress for perceived harm. If it is demonstrated to the membership that unions or arbitration hearings cannot be trusted to yield a fair process to resolve their issues, then the issues will naturally flow into the courtrooms. People have to believe in the “process,” and ordering them to believe is laughable.
5. We heard that the former NWA Merger Committee is now comprised of Captain Steve Mayer as chairman and two other members whom Mayer appointed - Captain Bill Bartels and Captain Ed Mueller, both friends of Captain Mayer’s who fly out of DTW. These three friends were all hired in the summer of 1995. Gee, how convenient is this? These guys are going to handle any SLI DRC claims such as the aircraft-replacement disputes. No, we do not buy into this either.
6. We are concerned about pension funding issues, as every employee on this property should be. We know from history that pilot contracts are under duress for at least a third of a pilot’s 20-plus - year career. Economic duress will surely once again return to this property in the future. When that time comes, the lack of funding of the pensions along with other liabilities may allow management to send this corporation back into the bankruptcy court. This is where the entire contract - i.e., pay, work rules, way of life, not just the pensions, may be savaged yet again. Ensuring healthy pension funding is vital to every pilot and other employee on this property. Just because it is legal to find ways to fund minimum amounts does not mean it is in the employees’ best interest to do so. In fact, it might be detrimental to the financial well-being of all of us. We have been asking the administration for a year for an analysis of all pilot retirements.
7. Under Chairman Moak’s regime, no committee member may talk directly to a member of the MEC. All such contacts will be made through the administration. If a member of the MEC contacts a committee member, that member is to inform the administration as to what was said. It is semi-humorous that this rule is ostensibly imposed so that the administration can keep abreast of the issues, but it is such a thinly disguised form of censorship and intimidation as to be sadly humorous. Can you imagine the vetting anyone addressing the MEC must go through with regard to the content of their presentation? We are positive that we don’t hear anything that the chairman does not want us to hear from his committees. What kind of effect does that have on our decision-making process? Also, we have come to learn that anyone who disagrees with the Moak administration is a whiner. At a special meeting last month, Chairman Moak admonished us before a vote on an LOA that it was our “right” to vote no but that it was in essence a bad thing to vote no on anything brought forth by the Negotiating Committee. WOW!
It turns out that if someone has an opposing view to the Moak administration, it is because of “political” reasons. Ironic, because Chairman Moak’s job and indeed that of the entire MEC is entirely political. Apparently, you can only be on the righteous side of an issue if you agree with him. We have never witnessed anything like this, but we have read about it in various history books of the always-doomed-to-fail control-freak regimes.
8. The MEC will meet March 23 through March 26 in Orlando, FL. It is one of three regularly scheduled meetings this year. There will be an election for the Negotiating Committee and some briefing on the pension. This Negotiating Committee could be the one that takes the pilot group through the next contract.
Also, the MEC will be asked to ratify Chairman Moak’s choice for the chairman of the Delta MEC Security Committee, Captain Jon Lewis. Captain Lewis needs no introduction to many of you, but we are going to mention here two deeds that he committed, and we can go into further details of his history if anyone would like by phone. First, during his term as a MSP rep on the MEC, he instigated a physical altercation with the vice chairman of the NWA MEC in the lobby of the Holiday Inn. This is where ALPA volunteers, instructor pilots, and students as well as airline passengers have stayed for years. He yelled vile obscenities at the same time. There were people standing around who knew he was an NWA pilot. The vice chairman had been minding his own business when he was accosted by Lewis. Can you imagine what people thought about Lewis and, by association, the rest of the pilot group? Secondly, Council 55 put on an annual Alaska Fish Fry every summer for pilots and their wives and children. It was a fun outdoor barbecue with all types of food and beer. People flew in from all over. Well, one year Captain Lewis attended wearing a sidearm and had to be convinced by a fellow pilot that he could not wear a sidearm in such an environment. Captain Moak knows about Captain Lewis’s history, but apparently the story is that Captain Lewis is the best candidate available. If true, do not appoint anyone until a quality candidate is trained, and in the meantime the administration can use Captain Hesselbein to oversee the committee. Never mind Captain Lewis’s stories and his judgment, what about Captain Moak’s judgment in appointing Lewis chairman of the Delta MEC Security Committee?
9. Chairman Moak obviously has his eye on expanding his empire to ALPA National this fall. Of course, he will attempt to install a puppet regime in Atlanta that he can depend on while he is running the big show in DC. All 50,000 members of our union are represented by about 300 voting delegates who are voting in October and have a great deal to consider when deciding what kind of a union they want ALPA to be in the future. Chairman Moak is big on giving commitments, but it has been a harsh lesson in what the definition means in the arena of deMOAKcracy in which we exist. It certainly is not Webster’s definition. He did not live up to his word at the Executive Council, nor his word to Captain Watts, but that does not surprise those that have dealt with him. He can’t even keep the commitment that he made to the MEC at our last July meeting to give those of us who want it a written copy of the Chairman’s Report that he reads at every scheduled MEC meeting. After additional prodding, like what you would give to a child, to get him to fulfill that small commitment, he sent us some pathetic bullet points but NOT the report that he read to MEC in October.
10. Sometimes when we listen to the speakers in the front of the room we think we are listening to management, but it is our administration whose lips are moving. We need to fix some things to get our quality of life up. Jumpseats, IT, bidding, get someone to answer e-mails and/or phone calls and have E&FA honestly value our LOAs - i.e., what are we getting/giving up.
11. It has been enlightening to go through this acquisition. We found out that we didn’t have or do anything worthwhile. We are being cleansed of our prior professional life and now are the luckiest pilots in the world, because we now get to wear the Delta uniform. We found out that there are only two types of pilots in this world: (1) Delta pilots and (2) pilots who wanted to be Delta pilots but just could not cut the mustard. A common thread in dealing with Delta ALPA and management types is that despite the lip service, there is a basic lack of understanding of the fact that although the name remained the same, BOTH airlines are gone. THIS airline will travel an unnecessarily difficult road if we don’t wise up.
12. Look to your left, look to your right. These are the people who will take care of you. Take care of each other.
Fly Safe,
[Rep names and contact info redacted]
.
