Whatever happened to Comair Academy? History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes...
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All that money to fly a Bandit.
It was just a 2 or 3 sheet handout on stock copy paper delineating opinions and predictions of what was to come but a packrat here or there may have it lying around. In any case I know I saw it and even if I didn't I heard it from him and others on multiple occasions. They were VERY careful to hide behind "the process" oh, that righteous, infallible process, of committing to a merger first and then worrying about it later but behind that wafer thin veil of pure trade unionism was the forked tongue of a potential seniority grab. "We didn't say we would get more than a staple. Let's just commit to the process first, but as it happens, typically, and results may vary, the end result is almost always somewhere *between* a staple and DOH" was the answer you would get if you asked directly.
In any case, clearly the biggest concern at the mainline level was a seniority grab, and no one in the PID/RJDC/either MEC ever, ever, came out and diffused it by blatantly saying what needed to be said. Strong, binding language that anything more than a staple was off the table and prenups would be agreed if necessary to move the process forward. The temptation to "go for it" was too sweet to pass up.
Then once DL furloughed over 1000 and DCI was taking deliveries limited only by factory production lines, the arrogance on the DCI side really blossomed. Sadly, it gave some of the proponents of the mainline scope failures a soft target to hide behind and divert some populist rage away from their broken outsource model they loved (love?) so much. As an added bonus, the same outsource proponents were able to divide and conquer what for a while was strong unity between at least ASA and Comair when each airline management simply said they were sticking to their preexisting policies of seniority resignation. ASA didn't "step up" anymore than Comair "chock blocked" anyone. Both management teams stated they would comply with existing policy. All the rage went towards Comair and that separated the unity between the two. Comair rode the wave of growth based arrogance and the MEC made some inflammatory statements, including the infamous "letter" where they pretended to have leverage over their management over the issue and would maybe see what they could do for some ill timed quid pro quo and we all know the rest. The pro outsourcing guys at DALPA got what they wanted from that of course so everyone was happy.
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August 25, 2005
Captain Duane Woerth, President
Air Line Pilots Association
1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington DC 20036-2212
VIA FAX AND CERTIFIED MAIL
Re: Resumption of Delta Mainline Bargaining
Dear Captain Woerth,
On August 19, 2005, Delta management formally notified ALPA of the company’s projected liquidity shortfall pursuant to paragraph 4(a) of the Bankruptcy Protection Letter. Both the company’s notice and the circumstances behind it are clear indications that another round of mainline bargaining may be imminent.
Consistent with our numerous letters concerning ALPA’s bargaining practices at Delta, we respectfully request that the Association ensure that it conduct itself in manner reflective of its duties to the ASA and Comair pilots. As evidenced by ALPA’s conduct at other carriers, the prospect of "crisis" bargaining at Delta increases the likelihood that ALPA’s mainline interests will seek to obtain provisions harmful to the ASA and Comair pilots or otherwise use our interests to create negotiating capital.
Of special concern is the possibility that ALPA’s arbitrary restrictions on the number of 70-seat aircraft Delta Connection may operate could result in significant job losses at ASA and Comair. As we wrote the Association prior to the last round of Delta bargaining, the 70-seat markets hold the key to ASA and Comair’s future. Should Delta elect to realign its small jet fleets by eliminating older RJ-50’s, then job losses and furloughs could be a direct consequence of ALPA’s arbitrary restrictions if ASA and Comair are not "permitted" by ALPA to replace their aging fleets with new market appropriate aircraft.
In a constructive sense, the prospect of additional Delta bargaining affords the Association another opportunity to undo provisions in the Delta scope clause that have proven not merely counterproductive but also markedly unfair. As we first warned ALPA four years ago, small jet restrictions are inherently unfair, fundamentally flawed,
and incapable of protecting "mainline" flying.
It is clear from ALPA’s experience at Delta that discriminating against selected airliners and their pilots serves no useful purpose and is the root cause of many of the Association’s problems. Once free of the distractions caused by these misguided and harmful provisions, the Association could better focus on securing credible contractual protections while upholding its duty to fairly represent all its member groups.
We ask, yet again, that ALPA remove all unfair and unwarranted small jet restrictions on its own accord and take steps to avoid harm to the ASA and Comair pilots. But notwithstanding the circumstances in which the changes might be made, ALPA’s duties to the ASA and Comair pilots require that the following elements in the Delta pilots’ scope clause be addressed:
- Unilateral and arbitrary definition of "Permitted Aircraft Types"
- Unilateral and arbitrary imposition of block hour ratios and limits.
- Unilateral and arbitrary hub and route restrictions.
- Unilateral and arbitrary restrictions on the operation of aircraft not carrying the Delta code.
- Unilateral and arbitrary preconditions on the operation of additional 70-seat aircraft.
In the event that ALPA’s leaders believe that the sale of ASA to SkyWest lessens the union’s duties to the ASA pilots, we note that the Court has already ruled in our case that the union’s obligations to its members is not defined by the corporate structures. More so, should ASA or Comair be forced to pursue code-sharing relationships with other carriers, the harm that accrues to the ASA and Comair pilots may increase due to ALPA’s overlapping and incompatible small jet restrictions.
While ALPA’s duties to the ASA and Comair pilots should be reason enough to enact needed reforms, the added prospect of another organizing drive at SkyWest should give ALPA further incentive to change its ways. As evidenced by the requests made by ALPA’s
own organizers to the RJ Defense Coalition, ALPA’s predatory scope practices constituted a major factor in ALPA’s unsuccessful organizing drives at Chicago Express and CommutAir.
Likewise, a more recent attempt to start an in-house union at SkyWest was overwhelmingly rejected by the SkyWest pilots once ALPA’s behind-the-scenes role in the effort became known. The fact that the ASA and Comair pilots have been forced to take legal action against ALPA will remain a prominent issue in any future SkyWest organizing campaign as long as ALPA’s conduct remains unchanged.
Therefore, in light of the fact that ALPA’s small jet restrictions constitute a serious breach of the union’s duty of fair representation and continue to prove harmful to
all ALPA’s members, we again request that our concerns be addressed without delay.
As always, feel free to contact us directly or through counsel should you have any further questions.
Sincerely,
/S/ /S/
Captain Kenneth Cooksey Captain Daniel Ford
Atlantic Southeast Airlines Comair Airlines
cc: Executive Council
ASA MEC
Comair MEC
Delta MEC
Michael S. Haber Esq.
