ad,
your argument has been around for years. If, as you say, DL mgmt has to spend money to remain non-union, its costs are RELATIVE to other carriers. When those carriers' employee costs stop rising, DL's do too. The notion that DL employee costs will keep growing at a rate that outstrips what other carriers do is incorrect.,
The simple reality is that DL's workforce has been more efficient and productive. I haven't seen statistics in the most recent couple of years but airline productivity has long been with WN at the top, CO/DL/NW in the middle of the pack, and AA/UA at the bottom of the pack. US has floated between categories but has moved closer to the middle of the pack before the merger.
The most significant difference is that DL is generating the level of REVENUES that allow it to pay its employees well. I have a hard time understanding how some people here are so quick to enthrone WN for its high pay without understand that WN has done an outstanding job of finding and growing revenues - and that is why WN employees do well.
DL is doing the same thing and it is precisely why I talk so much about DL's ability to defend its markets - which translates into revenue premiums and to keep growing.. which DL is doing while AA and UA are not. combined AA/US might but they still have at least 10K more employees for a similar sized airline that DL or UA have.
No, DL mgmt will never surrender the battle to just accept unions because unions have repeatedly come with work disruptions and lack of flexibility that have cost hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue and customer ill-will.
There simply were no public fights at DL after any of the mergers like there have been at US-HP or CO-UA.
Kev,
I know you know the technicalities but the IAM is not a legal representative for any DL employee and only will be one when a vote is called and the results have been affirmed.
The IAM DOES NOT SPEAK for anyone at DL and is involved with a group of individual DL employees only at their request - as individuals.
The number of people that are asking for the IAM has not been affirmed and will not be affirmed.
Finally, remember exactly to ad's point, that DL employees esp. FAs have repeatedly sent in cards as a threat to mgmt only to vote no in the election... exactly because they get what they want w/o the union.
Kev3188 said:
You assume that a CBA will automatically= outsourcing on the DL property. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of your former employer.
If it's not an assumption, then by all means explain how you've arrived at that definitive conclusion. I'd like to make an informed decision, so the more data points you can provide the better.
this is the phrase you need to explain and connect with what I have said.
Go ahead with explaining FUD... not in my database.