Rjdc Responds To Alpa

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RJ Defense Coalition
Ensuring One Level of Representation
www.rjdefense.com
Letter to ALPA's President
June 21, 2004

Captain Duane Woerth, President

Air Line Pilots Association

535 Herndon Parkway
Herndon, VA 20172-1169


VIA FAX AND CERTIFIED MAIL

Re: Resumption of Delta Mainline Bargaining


Dear Captain Woerth,


As you are undoubtedly aware, on June 16, 2004, the Delta Master Executive Council directed its negotiating committee to resume negotiations with management in accordance with the MEC’s updated objectives and goals. As clearly set forth in our February 26, 2004 letter to you and the Executive Council, ALPA's officers are obligated to safeguard the rights and interests of the ASA and Comair pilots and to provide redress for past injustices.


In order to avoid redoubling the unpleasant consequences of the Delta 2001 and 2002 agreements, we request that you invoke your authority as ALPA's President under Article XVIII of ALPA's Constitution and By-laws and ensure the following conditions are met prior to authorizing any negotiations at Delta:


Ø That ALPA's Negotiators be prohibited from unilaterally imposing any restrictions upon the ASA and Comair pilots. This includes, but is not limited to, “redefining†Delta Connection flying and “permitted†aircraft types.

Ø That ALPA's Negotiators be prohibited from using scope restrictions imposed upon ASA and Comair as bargaining capital. This includes, but is not limited to, manipulating scope restrictions to obtain quid pro quo exchanges from Delta management or the ASA and Comair pilots.

Ø That ALPA's negotiators and representatives be prohibited from withholding pertinent information from the ASA and Comair MEC’s. This includes, but is not limited to, details of ALPA's scope objectives and any discussions or plans that may affect the rights and interests of the ASA and Comair pilots.

Ø That ALPA's negotiators be prohibited from unilaterally negotiating or imposing any terms affecting the seniority rights or career opportunities of the ASA and Comair pilots. Such terms would include, but are not limited to, the mandatory hiring of displaced Delta pilots, bidirectional flow-through's, or any terms commonly referred to as “Jets for Jobs.â€

Ø That ALPA's negotiators be directed to remove all restrictions which limit the number of aircraft ASA and Comair may operate and the markets they may serve. This includes, but is not limited to, the 57 RJ-70 limit contained in Section 1.B.17 and all applicable ratios and route restrictions contained in Sections 1.D. and 1.E. of the Delta PWA.


It is not our intent to make inflammatory demands, but rather to ensure our Association moves swiftly to preclude any subordination of ASA or Comair pilot's rights as ALPA members. We are keenly aware of how ALPA engaged in “crisis†bargaining at US Airways and we believe that it is in everyone's best interests to ensure that these issues be preemptively and proactively addressed at Delta.


We therefore expect ALPA to take all necessary steps to ensure that its bargaining at Delta is conducted in a manner consistent with its obligations to the ASA and Comair pilots.


Please feel free to respond directly or through counsel as we await your reply.


Sincerely,




Captain Kenneth Cooksey Captain Daniel Ford



cc: Executive Council

ASA MEC

Comair MEC

Delta MEC




Enc.



Related Link: http://www.rjdefense.com/2004/cooksey_ford...th_02-26-04.pdf

 

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Delta talks worry Comair pilots

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By Alexander Coolidge
Post staff reporter

Signals from the pilots union that it's ready to reopen negotiations with Delta Air Lines Inc. are raising concerns among some pilots working for the company's regional carriers, including Cincinnati-based Comair Inc.
Regional pilots this week sent an open letter to the head of the national union urging it to oversee Delta negotiations to ensure that their separate union pacts with Comair and Atlantic Southeast Airlines pilots don't become a "bargaining chip" in the talks with Delta pilots.

The regional pilots want to avoid losing any of their benefits just because Delta pilots are considering making concessions to help the financially troubled airline.

Comair and Atlantic Southeast are both wholly-owned regional subsidiaries of the Atlanta-based carrier. Different chapters of the Air Line Pilots Association represent pilots with the three related airlines under different contracts.

"We are keenly aware of how ALPA engaged in 'crisis' bargaining at US Airways," wrote pilots Kenneth Cooksey and Daniel Ford, referring to similar talks at another legacy airline struggling to avoid bankruptcy. "We therefore expect ALPA to take all necessary steps to ensure that its bargaining at Delta is conducted in a manner consistent with its obligations to the ASA and Comair pilots."

Last week, the Delta pilots' union said it had decided to jump-start talks to cut pilots salaries in an effort to help turn the airline around. The news came after five months of stalemate.

Cooksey and Ford are seeking several assurances, including that the union would remove any potential restrictions on growing Comair's and Atlantic Southeast's fleets and geographical operations.

Financially struggling Delta has actually grown its regional carriers' fleets as it shifted dozens of mainline routes to smaller planes to save money.