Delta's use of temps worries full-timers

[WorldTraveler]

Does Delta consider Delta Global (A lot of Delta retirees) as part of their maintenance or is it considered outsourced/temp. labor??

good question but DL doesn't have a category so far as I know that is for non-DL employees working alongside DL employees. The WORK is outsourced or done at DL facilities.
And it wouldn't be terribly surprising if DL rehires some of the retirees that leave in the current retirement package back under DGS to alleviate the ramp up for new hire training.
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The vast majority (probably more than 95% of DL's domestic employees) work in its hubs so what happens in the hub is reflective of DL overall.
And if senior employees in small/medium stations are happy to stay where they are, and that is typical at many airlines, then why should RRs expect to make permanent there? Many senior employees put in their time at the hubs, moved around to find stability, and have earned the right to have schedule stability and a smaller workplace than those in the hubs (including a 5 minute walk from the parking lot instead of a 15 minute bus ride). And since many of the smaller and medium sized stations are in smaller cities than the hubs, many employees would see that as a higher quality of life - one which I believe is a decent reward for giving years to the company at big stations.
Let's not underestimate that many small and medium station employees are probably better at their jobs because they know all aspects of the operation where hub employees become specialists and might do one thing well - but they typically ONLY do one thing.
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Small stations are largely not growing because most carriers are at best holding onto their size in small cities as demand decreases with higher fuel prices. Whatever growth happens is new "spokes" at the hubs - and that is largely new int'l routes - and even that is harder and harder to justfy.... the DTW-Asia flying remains one of the biggest growth phases by DL post-merger and no other major carrier has added more than a route here or there.
Let's keep in mind that the industry is largely in a no-growth phase this year and there will likely be alot of capacity that will come out of the system before the year is over.
If anything, what the airlines that have successfully restructured have learned is that they must think alot further down the road than they did years ago - thus they are not making commitments that they cannot maintain in the face of the changing economics of the industry - changes which are not coming as a surprise.
That also means they are not making commitments to employees or salaries that they will later regret making.

 

[eolesen]

question for AMR employees, Is TESAL its own thing, like DGS, or are they AA employees(on the maintenance seniority list)?

TAESL is a JV between AA & RR, with its own profit/loss, and uses seconded AA employees on the TWU seniority list.

 

[2BlacknBlue]

Tell me how you think DL should proceed and evolve. I'd be interested to hear your ideas.

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I am not sure how they are supposed to win by throwing out what works in favor of something that is new and untried to them - and still involves changing a formula that DOES work for them.

Didn't "taking care of your people so the people can take care of the business" once worked for DL?

 

[WorldTraveler]

Didn't "taking care of your people so the people can take care of the business" once worked for DL?

given that DL's customer service and operational rankings are above average for the industry and higher than most of its peers, by your logic DL is taking care of its people.

 

[topDawg]

TAESL is a JV between AA & RR, with its own profit/loss, and uses seconded AA employees on the TWU seniority list.

I knew it was RR and AA. Just wasn't sure if they had their own employees or if they were really AA AMTs. (and could move out of AFW if they could hold it, or someone could move it without being hired for TESAL)

 

[topDawg]

good question but DL doesn't have a category so far as I know that is for non-DL employees working alongside DL employees. The WORK is outsourced or done at DL facilities.
And it wouldn't be terribly surprising if DL rehires some of the retirees that leave in the current retirement package back under DGS to alleviate the ramp up for new hire training.
.
The vast majority (probably more than 95% of DL's domestic employees) work in its hubs so what happens in the hub is reflective of DL overall.
And if senior employees in small/medium stations are happy to stay where they are, and that is typical at many airlines, then why should RRs expect to make permanent there? Many senior employees put in their time at the hubs, moved around to find stability, and have earned the right to have schedule stability and a smaller workplace than those in the hubs (including a 5 minute walk from the parking lot instead of a 15 minute bus ride). And since many of the smaller and medium sized stations are in smaller cities than the hubs, many employees would see that as a higher quality of life - one which I believe is a decent reward for giving years to the company at big stations.
Let's not underestimate that many small and medium station employees are probably better at their jobs because they know all aspects of the operation where hub employees become specialists and might do one thing well - but they typically ONLY do one thing.
.
Small stations are largely not growing because most carriers are at best holding onto their size in small cities as demand decreases with higher fuel prices. Whatever growth happens is new "spokes" at the hubs - and that is largely new int'l routes - and even that is harder and harder to justfy.... the DTW-Asia flying remains one of the biggest growth phases by DL post-merger and no other major carrier has added more than a route here or there.
Let's keep in mind that the industry is largely in a no-growth phase this year and there will likely be alot of capacity that will come out of the system before the year is over.
If anything, what the airlines that have successfully restructured have learned is that they must think alot further down the road than they did years ago - thus they are not making commitments that they cannot maintain in the face of the changing economics of the industry - changes which are not coming as a surprise.
That also means they are not making commitments to employees or salaries that they will later regret making.

rumor has it DGS is going to be putting 30-40 people on the hangar floor for the summer. Most of the time the ones that are worth a crap get a Delta job for the winter. Also sounds like hiring is really about to ramp up for TOC. I have heard numbers as high as 1,500 more people.

 

[eolesen]

I knew it was RR and AA. Just wasn't sure if they had their own employees or if they were really AA AMTs. (and could move out of AFW if they could hold it, or someone could move it without being hired for TESAL)

Yep, the guys at TAESL keep their place on the system list and can transfer in/out as openings occur if their seniority can hold it.

As for hiring retirees..... yep, that's been done elsewhere. Run 'em out the door with an early out carrot, and then hire them back as contractors without any protections or benefits. Helps you get rid of the older guys without any worry of an age discrimination lawsuit, since contractors really have no employment rights to speak of.

 

[WorldTraveler]

rumor has it DGS is going to be putting 30-40 people on the hangar floor for the summer. Most of the time the ones that are worth a crap get a Delta job for the winter. Also sounds like hiring is really about to ramp up for TOC. I have heard numbers as high as 1,500 more people.

good to hear.. and of course with DGS employees DL has the ability to see if new hires will work out - and can flex the size of the workforce to long term demand to ensure that full-time employees are not subject to the ups and downs of the industry.
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Any reasons why such large numbers of hiring is expected at Tech Ops?

 

[topDawg]

good to hear.. and of course with DGS employees DL has the ability to see if new hires will work out - and can flex the size of the workforce to long term demand to ensure that full-time employees are not subject to the ups and downs of the industry.
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Any reasons why such large numbers of hiring is expected at Tech Ops?

Already under staffed and then then they think that many people are going to leave.
ATL is short probably 400 or so bodies already. They think 1,000+ could go with this early out, though i think it will be more in the 200-300 number, and with all the up swing, and guys shipping out to the line I could see 1000 plus needed.

As for why its so short, when they did the last early out, they lost 200 I think and didn't replace them. The GO wouldn't give anyone the green light for more bodies, even if they were needed. TechOps has been hiring, and a good bit of AMTs, since January. The hangar floor (dept. 226 is the doing the hiring but they put you where ever is needed.) seems to have jobs post every day, AMTs, ASMs, and Avionics.