Sunday's interim deal calls for a 14 percent cut in hourly pay and another 1 percent in other pay and cost items, according to a statement issued by the airline.
The concessions would become effective Thursday and remain in place while both sides work toward a comprehensive agreement by March, Delta said.
"This agreement reflects the resolve of Delta people to work together to help save the company. We recognize and appreciate the additional sacrifice this will represent," said Ed Bastian, Delta's chief financial officer.
The union's 6,500 members must approve the tentative agreement by December 28.
On Thursday members of the Air Line Pilots Association authorized leaders to call a strike vote if no deal was reached by December 16. (Full story)
Delta had earlier asked a bankruptcy court in New York to suspend the company's contract with the pilots.
Its restructuring plan calls for an additional $3 billion in annual cost reductions and revenue improvements within two years.
When Delta filed for bankruptcy in September, company officials told the court that the airline was losing $5 million a day -- mostly because of high jet fuel prices.
This is indeed very good news as this has averted a possible strike!
767-332ER From United States, joined Mar 2001, 2019 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 1395 times:
About time...very glad that most of the pilots at DL are like the one's I've met; exceptionally good people that want their company to survive and that have Delta red, blue and baby blue running through their veins. I hope that now management is able to take this act of goodness from the pilots and work with it to bring Delta back to what it used to be; a company by the people for the people. Time to bring back the good ol' Delta morale up!!!
GO DELTA!!!
Twinjets...if one fails, work the other one twice as hard!!!
Positiverate From United States, joined May 2005, 1590 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1312 times:
MD88Captain From United States, joined Nov 2001, 1165 posts, RR: 16 Reply 4, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1173 times:
You guys don't get it all. The union and pilots have no agreement. They have a proposed agreement that must be voted on by the pilots who may vote "no". The vote date in 28 December.
TL8490 From United States, joined Sep 2005, 160 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1117 times:
Quoting MD88Captain (Reply 4): You guys don't get it all. The union and pilots have no agreement. They have a proposed agreement that must be voted on by the pilots who may vote "no". The vote date in 28 December.
You are correct...BUT....the union will MEC will have a lot of explaining to do if the union members do not approve this proposal...It goes to the heart of whether or not there was good faith negotiations. You have shown to be very level headed before but now you almost sound antagonistic toward a resolution......
DeltaGuy From United States, joined Sep 2001, 4096 posts, RR: 19 Reply 6, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1091 times:
Quoting TL8490 (Reply 5): You have shown to be very level headed before but now you almost sound antagonistic toward a resolution
MD88Capt remains very level headed, he's just calling it like it is...this affair is far from over, so hold off on those champaigne glasses...the deal could go completely south as far as we know.
DeltaGuy
Barack Hussein Obama is his own terrorist sleeper cell
B777-700 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1084 times:
Quoting MD88Captain (Reply 4): You guys don't get it all. The union and pilots have no agreement. They have a proposed agreement that must be voted on by the pilots who may vote "no". The vote date in 28 December.
If you guys are stupid enuff to vote no, you will lose every bit of your leverage in court. I'm sick and tired of you guys holding all the non union employees jobs over there heads, it's time to suck it up and take one for the team. YOU guys will get your money back when the company sees profitable times, the other employees wont, so save your chest thumping...it's over.
TL8490 From United States, joined Sep 2005, 160 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1000 times:
I understand the pilots are frustrated but I think a no vote will cause even more problems for the union because then the leaders will have issues with representation if what they just negotiated is not approved.
OttoPylit From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 908 times:
Quoting MD88Captain (Reply 4): You guys don't get it all. The union and pilots have no agreement. They have a proposed agreement that must be voted on by the pilots who may vote "no". The vote date in 28 December.
Ah yes, as we know, MD88Capt and his "full pay til the last day" cronies are calling the shots. We know he will vote no, since he doesn't know any better and refuses to admit his pay is gonna get cut, even though it is, and will be cut further the longer he tries to hold out. But I feel that the rest of the pilots will vote yes, even though it is an "interim" contract.
The rest of the pilots, and even ALPA, are starting to see the writing on the wall, and even though they had requested strike authorization cards before the announcement, they know the long arm of the law will only let them walk away without having a job to return to.
So MD88Capt and his "level-headed" approach to the situation is just the kind of thought process that will leave him and his similar thinking ilk out in the cold like the NW mechanics. The guy gets a temporary package, agreed to by HIS union chairman, which obviously shows that HIS boss sees what is coming. Despite how hard Don L. Moak tries to talk, that eagle knows that he has to get some kind of package agreed to before he gets sucked into a jet engine.
OttoPylit From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 808 times:
Quoting TL8490 (Reply 10): Ottopylit....that was kinda harsh....
And I care because...?
Lets look at what is happening and what has happened, and lets see if I am too harsh? And if I am(which I think I am more than fair), then oh well, I guess I'm just a harsh and bluntly dry kind of guy.
DL has gone back to the pilots for more paycuts, and the pilots tell them to shove off and get it from others(ironically, the ones who have already been through the cheese-slicer several times already). But they eventually sit down to talk and are offering low-ball offers, as they always do. The company asks the judge to throw out the contract. The pilots put the pistol to DL's head and tells them that if the contract is thrown out, they will pull the trigger, therefore not only losing their own job, but taking a great airline down with them and ruining 50,000 other people's lives. Doesn't this sound eerily similar to the Muslim suicide bomber thought process? During this time, the pilots, who you would think have been taught through the military to be clear thinkers, instead let their feelings get the best of them and sound off that they would rather starve than eat such filthy pay.
However, during this time, their leader, the same one who vowed his men and women would never lower themselves to anything less than the $1 billion given last year, has seen the writting on the wall and has come to a tentative agreement that he suggests his followers accept while ALPA and DL work on a longer term deal. In a nutshell, the pilots and management is saying, "Ok, lets accept this right now to lose as little as we can, but work for something else." If anything, it gives the pilots MORE bargaining power with the new contract negotiations. But alas, Mr. MD88Driver has made it clear that this still needs to be voted on by the pilots, and has hinted that many of them may or will vote no. Fine, shoot yourself in the foot. That just gives DL more of a reason to go back to Judge Beatty and gives her more of a reason to clear the pilots contract right off the books and leave them out in the cold. After that, if they still want to strike, they can if they so choose, as I am young enough to go get another job...their years are ticking down quite rapidly.
Bucky707 From United States, joined Aug 2000, 1009 posts, RR: 3 Reply 12, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 801 times:
Quoting OttoPylit (Reply 11): But alas, Mr. MD88Driver has made it clear that this still needs to be voted on by the pilots, and has hinted that many of them may or will vote no.
many will vote no. At this point I can't say which way it will go, though my gut is it will pass. The Delta pilot group has never voted down a TA, good or bad, since I have been here.
OttoPylit From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 797 times:
Quoting Bucky707 (Reply 12): many will vote no. At this point I can't say which way it will go, though my gut is it will pass.
What is your stance on it and how will you vote? To me, it sounds like a damn good offer, while working towards something else. It shows good faith by the pilot group and makes it appear that they give a damn about saving the company. For those that do vote no, it will show that they care nothing about Delta's health in the long term and side with our friend MD88.
Bucky707 From United States, joined Aug 2000, 1009 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 723 times:
Quoting OttoPylit (Reply 13): What is your stance on it and how will you vote?
Still thinking about it. Need to have a question answered first.
Quoting OttoPylit (Reply 13): To me, it sounds like a damn good offer, while working towards something else.
I would not call it a good offer. It may be the best we could do, but I would not call it a good offer. Also, I don't think this is it. I have no doubt the company will be wanting more.
Quoting OttoPylit (Reply 13): For those that do vote no, it will show that they care nothing about Delta's health in the long term and side with our friend MD88.
Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean they care nothing about the long term health of Delta. I may well vote no. Doesn't mean I don't care about Delta, it just means I think we could get a better deal.
Jumbojet From United States, joined Dec 2003, 1159 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 694 times:
This is good for a number of reasons, and not all of them have to do with the employees. Now, you won't get all those annoying threads and posts which more or less read, "is it safe to book with Delta, or, my company told us not to book with Delta". So, all the people that get spooked easily can feel a little more at ease.
Alitalia744 From United States, joined Mar 2000, 4001 posts, RR: 35 Reply 16, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 686 times:
Quoting Bucky707 (Reply 14): Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean they care nothing about the long term health of Delta. I may well vote no. Doesn't mean I don't care about Delta, it just means I think we could get a better deal.
So you do care about Delta? If so, why not provide us with your rational argument against the contract discussions vs. saying "we'll bring the company down."
I don't agree with how much you guys make, but at the same time I don't agree with the company going and taking a lot of it away, seeings as they thought you were worth it in the first place.
I'm not an employee of nor do I have any affiliations with Delta beyond being a loyal flier. Why do I fly Delta? As everyone has said, the employees...and that includes the Pilots. Some of the nicest, most friendly guys in the sky and without a doubt some of the best.
In an ideal world, things would be okay for you Otto and for you Bucky, but they're not right now, and it's about survival. Delta's management has in the past made some idiotic mistakes, the biggest of them hiring Mullin. Is Gerry any better? Time will tell, but he's trying to get the glory back. Will Delta ever return to it's full former glory? Probably not. Is there ability to get some of it back? I sure as hell hope so.
Time will tell, but for now and the forseeable future, I'll be the one boarding in Zone 2 on flights from LGA-CVG-LGA! I have a choice of carriers, I choose Delta Air Lines for a reason. Let's keep it that way.
Bucky707 From United States, joined Aug 2000, 1009 posts, RR: 3 Reply 17, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 666 times:
Quoting Alitalia744 (Reply 16): If so, why not provide us with your rational argument against the contract discussions vs. saying "we'll bring the company down."
The union never said they weren't willing to negotiate and never said they were not willing to take more cuts. All they said was if you take the drastic measure of throwing out our entire contract (something by the way that has not been done at any other bankrupt carrier) we will use any and all legal means available to us to fight back. That may have been a strike, it may not have been. There are options other than an outright strike.
I know very few Delta pilots who were not willing to take more cuts. Are there a few idiots out there against any cuts at all, sure. But there are not many. I think most of us disagree with the amount of the cut they want from the pilots and also question their methodology for determining that amount.
For me personally I never questioned the pay rates they are asking. I think its a bit much, but not way out of line. My biggest issue was the outsourcing of more jobs, and on that issue I would stand up and fight.
Alitalia744 From United States, joined Mar 2000, 4001 posts, RR: 35 Reply 18, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 611 times:
Quoting Bucky707 (Reply 17): For me personally I never questioned the pay rates they are asking. I think its a bit much, but not way out of line. My biggest issue was the outsourcing of more jobs, and on that issue I would stand up and fight.
So if they put a scale in place to allow mainline pilot's to fly EMB170-190's vs. outsourcing them to more DCI carriers, you'ld be a little happier?
I don't disagree with you on the outsourcing item...
Hopefully things work out for you Bucky and everyone at Delta. At the end of the day tho - always remember who it is that keeps you guys all up - those of us who are loyal and fly Delta for a reason.
I had a great flight last night (1623) into LGA and had a chance to talk to the pilots. Once again, they've always showed how proud they are of their company - hope that spirit continues.
Phollingsworth From United States, joined Mar 2004, 671 posts, RR: 6 Reply 19, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 591 times:
Quoting Alitalia744 (Reply 18): So if they put a scale in place to allow mainline pilot's to fly EMB170-190's vs. outsourcing them to more DCI carriers, you'ld be a little happier?
Even if you put the exact same pay and benefits scale in place it would still be more expensive for DL pilots to fly the EMB170s. The primary reason for this is the same reason that while Southwest has higher pay rates for many of their employees than many of the legacies their salary costs are lower. The major carriers are not growing fast enough to maintain a bottom weighted seniority distribution.
Surfdog75 From United States, joined Nov 2005, 221 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (2 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 522 times:
Quoting Bucky707 (Reply 17): For me personally I never questioned the pay rates they are asking. I think its a bit much, but not way out of line. My biggest issue was the outsourcing of more jobs, and on that issue I would stand up and fight.
This is the primary issue for me as well. We've already lost thousands of jobs company-wide to outsourcing. Delta hasn't met an RJ operator that they don't love. We have 5 different regional carriers flying our passengers now. An over reaction to the Comair strike in my opinion. Delta has spent billions on small jets for other companies employees to fly and maintain. This has created
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From United States, joined Nov 1999, 333 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
We know he will vote no, since he doesn't know any better and refuses to admit his pay is gonna get cut, even though it is, and will be cut further the longer he tries to hold out. But I feel that the rest of the pilots will vote yes, even though it is an "interim" contract.