TIME TO DECIDE BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

EMPLOYEE VOICES OP-ED COMMENTS
PILOTS IN THE MIX---RAMP IGNORED



An earlier blog made an interesting point. The pilots have more stability than any other rank and file employee in both tenure and financial terms because they are organized, unionized and have representation. Isn’t it interesting that immediately after being named CEO, Richard Anderson met with Lee Moak, the pilot’s union representative and their topic of conversation was “MERGER”! Hmm, doesn’t that make you wonder (something, anything)?

We went through the idiotic VRT (more like an Amway convention) with all the mojitos you could drink and it seemed to do a number on a lot of us with that “rah, rah, go Delta” approach. Let it go people! It got Jim Whitehurst, the brains behind VRT, a swift kick out the door. As soon as the new CEO realized Whitehurst wasted so much money on the program, they couldn’t get rid of him fast enough.

The bankruptcy is over, things have changed and it’s time to move on. The creditors and financiers of Delta are really upset that they lost out on all that US Airways guaranteed cash in allowing Delta to, for now, remain a standalone airline. They have shown their anger by applying pressure on the Board of Directors and getting Richard Anderson named as the new Delta CEO, seemingly out of nowhere. Anderson didn’t seem to be on anyone’s radar, certainly not on Jerry Grinstein’s, and not in any of the business magazines. Why, how did that happen? Here is something to consider.

A common fact that is hard to dispute is that the Board of Directors and the CEO are responsible first to the creditors and financiers, secondly to the stockholders, then maybe (perhaps) the customers. Employees might be next, but who really knows where we fit in. To think that employees rank any higher than that in the business equation would be pure nonsense. Creditors and financiers are going to get their money and minimize financial loss one way or another. That’s what they do and they are very good at it.

It is beginning to appear that merger might be their answer to financial well being. Of this much you can be sure, the creditors and financiers could care less about you, your family, your bills, your job or you. Make no mistake, THEY WANT AND ARE GOING TO GET THEIR MONEY. That’s just how it works and there isn’t much any of us can do about it, except protect ourselves through organizing with IAM. That’s just business.

The simple fact is that management doesn’t want us to organize and be represented, especially if there is a merger. Yet Richard Anderson takes the time to meet with the pilot’s top union guy immediately after being named CEO. He probably didn’t have anything better to do, right? Come on people, apparently there is some dialogue going on with the part of the workforce who has representation. The flip side of that is that there is certainly no dialogue between Dept.120 and this new management team. We have no representation and once again will have it stuck to us. Common sense should tell us that if management doesn’t want us to organize, it’s probably because it is good for them.

The pilots are involved, we are not. We are once again at the mercy of management. We could be involved, but we might have already dragged our feet too long. Just as we are getting close to organizing they could pull the rug out from under us…MERGER TIME.

Help us out Atlanta, LET’S HAVE A VOTE. Sign your cards and send them in before it really is too late. Give us an opportunity to vote our choice, if the vote fails then so be it. At least let the masses speak.

Mr. Anderson is already sizing up a 15 million dollar payday. How about we get in the mix, it’s time we let these executives know we have grown tired of not being included in the profits we have worked so very hard for. We deserve a permanent slice of this pie.