Just for "FlyWithUS"! :)

[Maximilian_Jenius]

In the future, there may be merger opportunities that make sense. If faced with the possibility, the Delta pilots are interested in participating in the "right" consolidation effort, a consensual merger with a rational mix of routes, employees and resources, and of the absence of antitrust and other issues that burden the current proposal. The "right" merger opportunity could draw our support and result in a successful merger.

Hmmmm...

Seriously. Gonna date myself here. But growing up Western was my favorite airline. I loved seeing those 727 in TUS with the big "W" on the tail. Then they got bought out/merged with Delta and big D has been my favorite airline ever since.

So "Keep Delta, My Delta!"

 

[derg]

Doug, you know you wanna fly for the largest US airline...

Nope, not really!

There's no extra points for being the biggest. Southernjets is the #3 carrier in the US and the #1 US carrier across the Atlantic. That and $3.25'll get you a grande latte.

 

[FL270]

So the clear implication here from Mr. Moak & Co. is that, should this merger be consummated, work slowdowns, CHAOS, work to rule, sickouts, wildcat strikes, etc., will be the result, at least from Delta ALPA. Tread carefully there, lest your MEC find itself incarcerated for inciting an illegal job action. Whether or not any of us likes the law, that's what the law is, and trouble will come as a result.

I'm curious, though. What promises, exactly, has Parker broken to his employees in the US/HP merger? The merger, while not yet finished, is successful beyond anybody's projections. Profit sharing will be paid. Yes, there have been a few hiccups, and there are still steps to complete. Nobody denies that. The employees don't like that they haven't all gotten massive raises, but PARKER NEVER PROMISED THAT. Just because you don't like what he's saying doesn't mean he hasn't kept to his word. And THAT makes the Lorenzo comparison INCREDIBLY unfair, bordering on slanderous, and it was invoked by Delta ALPA for NO OTHER REASON than because the word Lorenzo is to airline pilots what the F-bomb is to your little Baptist grandmother. That kind of dishonesty is inexcusable.

Love the merger or hate it, I don't care. But advocate for your side honestly, instead of inviting the bogeyman out of the closet for no good reason. Whatever Parker's faults may be, Frankie Smooth Talk he ain't, not by any stretch of the imagination.

RSB

 

[derg]

Parker's plans are more or less to dry hump Delta via the 1113(c) process where contracts are thrown out. Primarily the reason why he wants to consummate the deal while Delta is still in bankruptcy.

At that point, you're free to seek self-help (ie: Raise hell and poop on his lawn)

 

[kellwolf]

Russ, there's plenty of things you can do as a "slow down" that would be perfectly legal. All you have to do is stick strictly to what you're supposed to do. Nav light burned out? Actually right it up so MX has to go through the full paperwork instead of just changing the bulb and going. No employee number on the service check sign off? Don't go anywhere until a MX supervisor signs off on it instead of just writing it in yourself after an okay over the phone. These are just things off the top of my head done as a courtesy to smooth operations on a daily basis. If pilots start sticking to EXACTLY what they are and aren't supposed to do, there will be plenty enough LEGAL slow down to cause some problems. $10.5 billion is a BIG gamble on a pissed off workforce.

I thought the HP/US merger made sense for both sides. I don't think DL/US makes sense for EITHER side, IMO. Delta doesn't need the cash flow since they'll probably do well on their own outside of bankruptcy (hell, take away lawyer fees and bankruptcy associated payments, NWA and Delta have BOTH been profitable for over a year), and US Airways is creating a mega-merger "boogeyman." They should at least finish one merger before moving on to another one. In addition to that, there's WAY too much overlap on the domestic route structure. With HP/US Airways, there was little, if any overlap. Comparing the two mergers isn't even apples to oranges. It's more like apples to rock salt.

 

[H46Bubba]

Russ, there's plenty of things you can do as a "slow down" that would be perfectly legal. All you have to do is stick strictly to what you're supposed to do. Nav light burned out? Actually right it up so MX has to go through the full paperwork instead of just changing the bulb and going. No employee number on the service check sign off? Don't go anywhere until a MX supervisor signs off on it instead of just writing it in yourself after an okay over the phone. These are just things off the top of my head done as a courtesy to smooth operations on a daily basis. If pilots start sticking to EXACTLY what they are and aren't supposed to do, there will be plenty enough LEGAL slow down to cause some problems. $10.5 billion is a BIG gamble on a pissed off workforce.

Not to mention you'll piss of the MX union as well as the CSA's!

 

[derg]

And $30 billion in debt for the combined company.

HOLY COW! I think Delta filed BK with less debt than that.

Here's the primary problem. The people who are saying "this is a great deal!" are hedge fund owners. Hedge fund owners apparently own up to 50% of USAir so they're looking for a quick stock pump so they can dump it. Half of the shareholders of USAir really don't give a crap whether the deal makes sense or not, they're looking for short term gain.

So say the deal *is* consummated, then you have a massive company with massive debt and you've just added approximately 50,000 pissed off employees.

Doesn't sound like a recipe for success, especially when the economic pendulum swings back, like it always does.

 

[kellwolf]

Not to mention you'll piss of the MX union as well as the CSA's!

I'm sure the MX group and the CSAs have their own forms of slowdowns. My point was that you can still do a work slow down within and still be totally legal about it. Besides, the MX guys and CSAs think we're spoiled, overpaid and whiny anyway, right?

 

[LoadMasterC141]

Why do they call it "Code-A-Phone"?

 

[derg]

Why do they call it "Code-A-Phone"?

I dunno.

When I worked for the Skyway MEC, voicemail was called ASPEN.

 

[OldTownPilot]

I'm sure the MX group and the CSAs have their own forms of slowdowns. My point was that you can still do a work slow down within and still be totally legal about it. Besides, the MX guys and CSAs think we're spoiled, overpaid and whiny anyway, right?

Steve, as a former CSA you should know all the BS that we do. Late boarding, waiting for bags, geting around to pulling the jetway. There is probably a lot less that "I" could do on my own. If you got a station together, nothing would be going for a while.

The airling needs a complete team effort to get the plane from point A to B. Everyone from Dispatch, to the crews, to the mechs, to the ramp pukes.

 

[LoadMasterC141]

I dunno.

When I worked for the Skyway MEC, voicemail was called ASPEN.

Just from the sounds of it, I got the notion that it came from way back ten years ago, before them thar fancy compooters, where employees called a number and dialed a code to get a recorded update on company affairs. Just a guess. Was wondering if it was true.

Sorry to hijack the thread, twice.

 

[H46Bubba]

I'm sure the MX group and the CSAs have their own forms of slowdowns. My point was that you can still do a work slow down within and still be totally legal about it. Besides, the MX guys and CSAs think we're spoiled, overpaid and whiny anyway, right?

:yup: You don't even know the half of it. I defend pilots to a certain point, but there are some that are extreme nit pickers. All are know by name, by every mx controller. "Uh oh Captain poopy pants is on the radio again! He needs mx at C-12."

 

[derg]

:yup: You don't even know the half of it. I defend pilots to a certain point, but there are some that are extreme nit pickers. All are know by name, by every mx controller. "Uh oh Captain poopy pants is on the radio again! He needs mx at C-12."

Hey...HEY! Get out of your swivel chair and come fly it then!

I'm kidding I'm kidding! It was an easy shot, I had to take it.

 

[kellwolf]

Hey...HEY! Get out of your swivel chair and come fly it then!

I'm kidding I'm kidding! It was an easy shot, I had to take it.

I can hear the "Oh man, I have to put down my sandwich and go out THERE now?" tone in some of the MX guys voices at my airline, too.

 

[ComplexHiAv8r]

Hey...HEY! Get out of your swivel chair and come fly it then!

I'm kidding I'm kidding! It was an easy shot, I had to take it.

If it was my Dad he would of done just that! He was qualified for 10 and 47s for maintenance.

I can hear the "Oh man, I have to put down my sandwich and go out THERE now?" tone in some of the MX guys voices at my airline, too.

Just remember that if you would just fly the plane correctly, there wouldnt be any maintenance issues!

 

[H46Bubba]

Hey...HEY! Get out of your swivel chair and come fly it then!

I'm kidding I'm kidding! It was an easy shot, I had to take it.

Oh oh, somboady thinks they're funny!:rotfl: That's why I'm glad I don't work the mx control desk. Most mechanics really don't like pilots. I heare it 10 hrs a day 4 days a week. I just move the parts. No pilot interaction other than giving the crew some COMAT to rescue a grounded a/c.

 

[AZBigDog]

And some of the mobile billboards making the rounds at USAir HQ, KPHX, KCLT and perhaps even the bank that Parker charmed with the snake oil:

I actually saw the mobile billboard with the blue background on the way home this morning. I spotted it along the westbound 202 at McClintock in PHX. The setup was a small trailer with the sign on it being towed by a pickup truck. I was able to make out the billboard from the eastbound side of the highway.

Al

 

[H46Bubba]

I'd park that thing right across the street from HQ's front door, so they can see it all day, every day!

 

[derg]

Rumor has it there's one that sits there during bidness hours.