August/September 2013 Fleet Discussion

[Harry Callahan]

AGREED SOLIDARITY! In spite of Nelson’s agenda, I will refrain from posting about him… after all… that’s what he wants… ATTENTION!

HAPPY LABOR DAY TO ALL THAT LABOR!

ROA I agree 1000 % with you. I can't figure it out. I've got him blocked so unless some quotes him I don't see it any way. Best wishes to another soon to be retired guy.
Edit think I quoted wrong post, this was about Josh or who ever he is,
Harry

 

[ograc]

Anyone care to speculate on the NMB's lack of action the past two months? Two seperate bargaining units declaring impasse and requesting to be released; yet no action to date to release or schedule future negotiations by the NMB. What's up with that?

 

[necigrad]

Obamas appointees got invalidated?

 

[robbedagain]

maybe the nmb is lazy and just wanna see how the doj vs the airlines plays out...

 

[roabilly]

Anyone care to speculate on the NMB's lack of action the past two months? Two seperate bargaining units declaring impasse and requesting to be released; yet no action to date to release or schedule future negotiations by the NMB. What's up with that?

Ummmm… how about a Letterman top ten?

10) The sequester has cut the mediator’s hours- so he now works part-time in PHX …

9) The mediator is enjoying an all expenses paid vacation in STT courtesy of the company…

8) The mediator is consulting with Freedom prior to rendering a decision… consequently, the talks became so convoluted and unintelligible the mediator began drinking heavily…

7) They are waiting until 2016 to see if Rand Paul is elected President-- Since there will be no unions at that time due to the NRTA-- it won’t matter…

6) The mediator read some of Nelson’s posts… so he now believes the whole process is fixed, and he is now awaiting an internal coup d'état…

5) The mediator is waiting for the IAM Survey results, and the IAM is awaiting his decision before initiating the Survey, so the whole process is in a revolving stalemate…

4) The mediator is pissed about the hours that were cut due to the sequester, and is now attempting to organize his own department with a Union so they can have scope language…

3) The mediator is attempting to sell all of his Airline investments in his 401k prior to rendering his decision…

2) The mediator is awaiting the outcome of what happens with the whole Syria thing…

and the number one reason nothing has happend is...

The mediator was reassigned to the NSA, and is now meticulously combing through all of our private emails to see what “we” think about the impasse…

 

[cltrat]

or maybe our " beloved" government who some think always know whats best for us is just dragging their lazy arse feet.

Just like the Holder lead DOJ they were quick to file a lawsuit to stop the merger but when asked to put up asked for 6 months to get their ducks in a row. What a bunch of clowns!
I see no reason to believe the NMB is any different.

 

[freedom]

I can think of a few reasons the NMB won't declare an impasse , but I won't share them .

 

[700UW]

Oh please do, we are all waiting with anticipation, lol!

Now your an expert in the NMB also?

 

[Tim Nelson]

Anyone care to speculate on the NMB's lack of action the past two months? Two seperate bargaining units declaring impasse and requesting to be released; yet no action to date to release or schedule future negotiations by the NMB. What's up with that?

It appears to me that the IAM's action may have been with the intent of politics, due to the IBT election. I hope not. But, the IAM has engaged with the NMB but seems to be asking for more negotiation dates. When an impasse is asked for, it means that future negotiations are futile. So seems to be a contradiction, imo. I'm not saying I have the answer to this, just that it needs more clarifying.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Industry Update:

Delta announces another 3% pay raise for its rampers. Additional one week of vacation.

This brings the top out pay at $24.46 [including a .60 longevity]. Everything else stayed the same, i.e., 10 holidays, double time, 43 stations with mainline employees working, shift premiums of .51, etc.

What chaps my arse is that our negotiators only asked for $22.45 and have nowhere to go but down from that amazingly low bar they are asking for.

 

[700UW]

Tim,

Not necessarily true, even if they were released the NMB brings both parties together for a week of "Super Mediation" before the 30 day cooling off period expires.

Happened to us in 1992 and 1999 after the board released the parties from negotiations. As a matter of fact in the 99 negotiations one T/A was voted down and a new one reached during "Super Mediation" and the membership ratified it.

And the NMB has not gotten back to either M&R or Fleet, spoke with the CLT GC this morning, and no word in any fashion back from the NMB.

Delta is the #2 airline in the World, US is #5, not making excuses but the current negotiations is for a short term bridge agreement until joint talks begin with the new AA and then the union will be negotiating from a position of the New AA being the #1 carrier in the world.

 

[Tim Nelson]

Tim,

Not necessarily true, even if they were released the NMB brings both parties together for a week of "Super Mediation" before the 30 day cooling off period expires.

Happened to us in 1992 and 1999 after the board released the parties from negotiations. As a matter of fact in the 99 negotiations one T/A was voted down and a new one reached during "Super Mediation" and the membership ratified it.

And the NMB has not gotten back to either M&R or Fleet, spoke with the CLT GC this morning, and no word in any fashion back from the NMB.

Delta is the #2 airline in the World, US is #5, not making excuses but the current negotiations is for a short term bridge agreement until joint talks begin with the new AA and then the union will be negotiating from a position of the New AA being the #1 carrier in the world.

Yeah but we have seen what the IAM's version of "Negotiating with the #1 airline in the world" means already. I'm all for super mediation to start. And I don't think the IAM's position is necessarily for a bridge ta since all of their written correspondence is that they are negotiating a stand alone ta, separate from any merger position. I don't think a bridge ta is something you ask for a release for anyways imo.

 

[Tim Nelson]

It seems to me that some folks criminalize the thought of leverage in negotiations as the "#5" airline. Not saying you 700, but some posters.
On a closer look, it isnt just a poor ole "any ole flimsy #5 airline" our members are negotiating against but one that is of legacy cloth that is making almost a half billion a quartwr in an industry that the iata says is projected to make $50 billion over the next 3 years, and needs a fence and seamless merger to tap into new synergies.
Given such an environment, it seems to me that union leverage in section 6 could not possibly be any better, especially when we already know AH will be in no hurry to sign a industry leading transition agreement once our group gets out of section 6.
This is the time to preserve and expand scope, and plenty of it!

 

[cltrat]

Industry Update:

Delta announces another 3% pay raise for its rampers. Additional one week of vacation.

This brings the top out pay at $24.46 [including a .60 longevity]. Everything else stayed the same, i.e., 10 holidays, double time, 43 stations with mainline employees working, shift premiums of .51, etc.

What chaps my arse is that our negotiators only asked for $22.45 and have nowhere to go but down from that amazingly low bar they are asking for.

it makes me wonder what I'm getting for my union buck

 

[Black Magic]

it makes me wonder what I'm getting for my union buck

I agree. Meanwhile the dues keep rolling in no matter how long negotiations take. Delta is unique in that it realizes to keep the unions at bay they pay their workforce more on average than unionized employees, Delta just has different a business model than other carriers. DP on the other hand learned long ago that a unionized ramp was the cheaper option rather than have to pay industry leading wages to keep union off property.