New AMT positions on Ebid?!

[bored30over]

Hey guys, just wondering what is up with the new AMT positions I saw posted on Ebid...I am a furloughed AMT and check the bids regularly. I just doesn't seem a good time to be creating a lot of new positions with the possibility of the merger and subsequent combination of Delta Mechanics and the "replacement" workers at NW....what's the deal?

 

[DalMD88]

I don't think they are newly created positions. I think they are back filling for the guys that took the early retirement program. Tony touched on that during the last call in. He expects the recall list to be completly gone in the near future. The retirement program was not really aimed at reducing head count. They really wanted to get rid of top of scale people in all areas. After the recall list is gone for a given station they can hire bottom of scale of the street.

Think of the savings. Here in BOS we lost 4 mechnics and an inspector. If one of the existing mechanics or leads moves into the inspector slot the total is now 5. The difference in pay for 5 topped out mechanics vs 5 new hires is equal to 2-3 mechanics being totally cut. Within six months to a year the newbies will be able to do many of the jobs the topped out guys could do.

As far as the NW guys coming over. Most think it is a non issue. They have very few mechanics in the same stations as us. In the stations that have contractors we will absorb the work and maybe add some positions.

 

[brokenwrench]

I don't think they are newly created positions. I think they are back filling for the guys that took the early retirement program. Tony touched on that during the last call in. He expects the recall list to be completly gone in the near future. The retirement program was not really aimed at reducing head count. They really wanted to get rid of top of scale people in all areas. After the recall list is gone for a given station they can hire bottom of scale of the street.

Think of the savings. Here in BOS we lost 4 mechnics and an inspector. If one of the existing mechanics or leads moves into the inspector slot the total is now 5. The difference in pay for 5 topped out mechanics vs 5 new hires is equal to 2-3 mechanics being totally cut. Within six months to a year the newbies will be able to do many of the jobs the topped out guys could do.

As far as the NW guys coming over. Most think it is a non issue. They have very few mechanics in the same stations as us. In the stations that have contractors we will absorb the work and maybe add some positions.

Any talk of opening back up closed out stations?

 

[DalMD88]

Any talk of opening back up closed out stations?

I havn't heard anything. ANC might come back with the NW merger. They transit through there a bunch I think for the cargo ops.

 

[RobertD]

I don't think they are newly created positions. I think they are back filling for the guys that took the early retirement program. Tony touched on that during the last call in. He expects the recall list to be completly gone in the near future. The retirement program was not really aimed at reducing head count. They really wanted to get rid of top of scale people in all areas. After the recall list is gone for a given station they can hire bottom of scale of the street.

Think of the savings. Here in BOS we lost 4 mechnics and an inspector. If one of the existing mechanics or leads moves into the inspector slot the total is now 5. The difference in pay for 5 topped out mechanics vs 5 new hires is equal to 2-3 mechanics being totally cut. Within six months to a year the newbies will be able to do many of the jobs the topped out guys could do.

As far as the NW guys coming over. Most think it is a non issue. They have very few mechanics in the same stations as us. In the stations that have contractors we will absorb the work and maybe add some positions.

Interesting, you think they will be getting rid of the contractors?
I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[DalMD88]

Interesting, you think they will be getting rid of the contractors?
I wouldn't hold my breath.

All I have to go on is some input from our Regional Manager. Do I trust what he says? Not highly, but it is all I have. He said for us in BOS Swissport will be gone. He said we will absorb the work in our current station. They are not going to keep a contractor in a current DL line station. We might hire some of them, but they will be new hires. The few NW locals ofcourse will be kept. I don't know about stations that DL doesn't currently staff and NW has contractors at.

Now if you listen to the fear mongers they say that after the merger we will all have Swissport badges. I don't think that has been in the DL game plan. I think DL likes having Line Mtc under company control. Hell I don't think they have been happy with the heavy checks being done out of house. At this point it doesn't make sence to bring them back. We don't have the real estate or the manpower. Also all of the outsourced work is on the old fleet types that will be gone in a few years.

 

[bored30over]

Thanks for the info DalMD88...been out of the loop for awhile now, but still toying with the idea of coming back. I work for the largest beer company in the US, have excellent benefits, made 75K last year, etc, etc, etc, but I still miss the job and the especially the people. I enjoyed my work at Delta...something I rarely do at my new job. The industry is just so damn shakey...I was hoping that they would've gotten it together by now.

 

[RDU Jetblast]

Good job making 75k? You won't pass the psych test!

 

[RDU Jetblast]

Good job making 75k? You won't pass the psych test!

I was in a rush when I replied.

I mean if you have a great job and would consider leaving it to go back to work on the line, it might be a flag against your mental state!

 

[bored30over]

Believe me, I know what you are saying. It's a battle everyday for me. I just can't deny that I am WAY better off in pay, retirement, healthcare, schedule, virtually every aspect for a working person. It's what an airline mechanic deserves for the responsiblilty they have, especially when I have NO responsibility and my work is not what I considered SKILLED. I guess being an aircraft mechanic has skewed my view of that forever. For what it's worth, the job satisfaction and quality of co workers, Delta wins hands down. As for all the other stuff, Anheuser Busch wins.

 

[RDU Jetblast]

I was joking , as you know. I feel the same way. There's no better job satisfaction for me than working line mx-days, swing or on the darkside.

But, I owe my family stability, a good, happy mental attitude, and a future to look forward to. I lost all that in the rumor mill / station closings that occurred during project 7.0 in '94. The frustration & disappointment became greater than the job satisfaction.

Would I return if things were the way they used to be? You bet! But, unfortunatly, I'll be retirement age by that time.

 

[brokenwrench]

I'll second that. The rumor mill was a killer as was 7.5 and 7.5 2.0.

But I can honestly say that work never really felt like work with the group of guys I was lucky enough to work with on the line.
I never once had to radio the shop for help. Any call on the radio of a tire/brake change or hydraulic/fuel leak on a thru flight meant 2-4 AMT'S would show up willing to help within 5 minutes. Great, great group.

 

[bored30over]

I agree whole heartedly; work was enjoyable because of my co workers, their dedication, and the comraderie. Still makes me angry what the Big D did to mine and many others careers. But hey, at least Leo and his band of bandits still got theirs! That makes me feel better. <_<

 

[RDU Jetblast]

leo Schmeo. Ron Allen is the main culprit behind ALL of delta's woes.

He overpaid for the carcass of a rotten airline with rotten routes and aircraft. Then, fuel started climbing and Delta loses money for the first time-in the amount of what was paid for the Blue Ball.

I think if Ron Allen had kept his hands in his pockets when PanAm was being picked apart, Delta would be as strong as SWA is today and there would never have been layoffs or a bancruptcy.

Instead of looking out for the company, he was looking out for his reputation and he lost both. And, so did we.