There were rumors jumping around about a contract extension or new contract, but it's not. It's basically a TA that covered how they're going to handle FAR 117 as the PWA was written pre-implementation.
Some highlights:
May 17, 2014
Fellow Delta pilots,
In last week’s From The Chairman, I mentioned we were very close to reaching an agreement in negotiations on FAR 117 and its relation to our Pilot Working Agreement (PWA). I am pleased to report a Tentative Agreement (TA) was reached last Thursday.
As you know, the FAA’s FAR 117 provided a long-awaited, science-based approach to fatigue risk mitigation. This complete re-write of flight time/duty time (FTDT) regulations was the most extensive change by the FAA in generations. As such, many provisions of our PWA were out of sync with this new FAR, which caused some operational problems. This provided a trigger to explore improvements to our PWA.
Your elected representatives, desiring to take advantage of this opportunity, began this process in August 2013 and analyzed, discussed, deliberated and arrived at a consensus on the areas to improve in our PWA. The Negotiating Committee was then directed to engage with the company to negotiate that direction.
During the last eight months, there were over 30 meetings between the Company and your Negotiating Committee. Throughout that time, there were numerous updates provided to your elected representatives. Also, there were five MEC meetings, which allowed for more thorough progress updates, re-direction and re-prioritization in the areas of improvements.
Some of you are probably asking, “How did my rep know which areas of the PWA needed improvement?” The MEC’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on FAR 117 and the affected PWA sections provided numerous communications to you on this new regulation through Scheduling Alerts and the Scheduling Reference Handbook. Dozens of volunteers received training on the new FAR, and were deployed throughout the system to assist their fellow pilots. With this knowledge, many of you voiced your opinion directly to your reps at LEC meetings, lounge weeks, and with phone calls and emails. This was, and is, membership in action, and your direct input was an integral part of this process.
I have called for a two-day Special MEC meeting on May 21 and 22 for the MEC to consider this TA, and a detailed Negotiator’s Notepad will be provided to you once the MEC has had a chance to deliberate. Below are the highlights of the TA:
·Improves Average Daily Guarantee (ADG) to 5:15 with a carve-out from 0000-0200, eliminates Duty Period Average (DPA), eliminates 2200-2359 carve-out.
·Eliminates longevity disparity for former NWA pilots.
·Adds new reroute restriction requiring open legs outside of 14 hours to report be covered under normal trip coverage.
·Increases long call leash to 13 hours for rotations and short call.
·Improves earliest trip report/short call to 10 hours after start of first on-call day.
·Limits short call periods for all reserve pilots to a maximum of 12 hours.
·Establishes split duty periods with scheduling protections above and beyond the FAR and a 7:30 pay guarantee.
·Retains 8 and 12-hour flight time limits for ocean crossings.
·Improves FRMS long range flying duty day protections.
·Improves FRMT language allowing participation in the FRMS development and application process.
·Improves the A330-300 rest seat by providing a rest facility in the MCRC.
·Provides augmentation for a non-ocean crossing FDP.
·Adopts FAR FDP limits for actual operations.
·Improves FAR FDP scheduling limits through a 30-minute buffer.
·Improves FAR PIC FDP extension authorization by providing that ALL pilots must provide authorization.
·Improves NRT/HND deadhead seat requirements.
Because of your input and participation, this Tentative Agreement is the most valuable agreement that the Delta pilots have ever achieved outside of the normal Section 6 negotiating process. Once again, this illustrates that our Delta MEC, at each and every opportunity, will work to improve our contract.
Some highlights:
May 17, 2014
Fellow Delta pilots,
In last week’s From The Chairman, I mentioned we were very close to reaching an agreement in negotiations on FAR 117 and its relation to our Pilot Working Agreement (PWA). I am pleased to report a Tentative Agreement (TA) was reached last Thursday.
As you know, the FAA’s FAR 117 provided a long-awaited, science-based approach to fatigue risk mitigation. This complete re-write of flight time/duty time (FTDT) regulations was the most extensive change by the FAA in generations. As such, many provisions of our PWA were out of sync with this new FAR, which caused some operational problems. This provided a trigger to explore improvements to our PWA.
Your elected representatives, desiring to take advantage of this opportunity, began this process in August 2013 and analyzed, discussed, deliberated and arrived at a consensus on the areas to improve in our PWA. The Negotiating Committee was then directed to engage with the company to negotiate that direction.
During the last eight months, there were over 30 meetings between the Company and your Negotiating Committee. Throughout that time, there were numerous updates provided to your elected representatives. Also, there were five MEC meetings, which allowed for more thorough progress updates, re-direction and re-prioritization in the areas of improvements.
Some of you are probably asking, “How did my rep know which areas of the PWA needed improvement?” The MEC’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on FAR 117 and the affected PWA sections provided numerous communications to you on this new regulation through Scheduling Alerts and the Scheduling Reference Handbook. Dozens of volunteers received training on the new FAR, and were deployed throughout the system to assist their fellow pilots. With this knowledge, many of you voiced your opinion directly to your reps at LEC meetings, lounge weeks, and with phone calls and emails. This was, and is, membership in action, and your direct input was an integral part of this process.
I have called for a two-day Special MEC meeting on May 21 and 22 for the MEC to consider this TA, and a detailed Negotiator’s Notepad will be provided to you once the MEC has had a chance to deliberate. Below are the highlights of the TA:
·Improves Average Daily Guarantee (ADG) to 5:15 with a carve-out from 0000-0200, eliminates Duty Period Average (DPA), eliminates 2200-2359 carve-out.
·Eliminates longevity disparity for former NWA pilots.
·Adds new reroute restriction requiring open legs outside of 14 hours to report be covered under normal trip coverage.
·Increases long call leash to 13 hours for rotations and short call.
·Improves earliest trip report/short call to 10 hours after start of first on-call day.
·Limits short call periods for all reserve pilots to a maximum of 12 hours.
·Establishes split duty periods with scheduling protections above and beyond the FAR and a 7:30 pay guarantee.
·Retains 8 and 12-hour flight time limits for ocean crossings.
·Improves FRMS long range flying duty day protections.
·Improves FRMT language allowing participation in the FRMS development and application process.
·Improves the A330-300 rest seat by providing a rest facility in the MCRC.
·Provides augmentation for a non-ocean crossing FDP.
·Adopts FAR FDP limits for actual operations.
·Improves FAR FDP scheduling limits through a 30-minute buffer.
·Improves FAR PIC FDP extension authorization by providing that ALL pilots must provide authorization.
·Improves NRT/HND deadhead seat requirements.
Because of your input and participation, this Tentative Agreement is the most valuable agreement that the Delta pilots have ever achieved outside of the normal Section 6 negotiating process. Once again, this illustrates that our Delta MEC, at each and every opportunity, will work to improve our contract.
