THE DELTAWIDGET MASTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL • ATLANTA, GEORGIA VOLUME 3 • NUMBER 1 • WINTER 2015 The Next Phase of the Negotiating Process Under One Banner C2015 Trainer Refinery, Delta’s Secret Weapon Tools for Managing Your 401(k) DPCF Expands, Spreads Your Generosity INTERNATIONAL SCOPE— WATCHING IT ALL COME TOGETHER A WINGMAN HAS YOU COVERED, from takeoff to landing. ALPAPAC.org/Wingman Disclaimer: The descriptions of the Air Line Pilots Association PAC are not a solicitation to contribute to the PAC. Only ALPA members, ALPA executives, senior administrative and professional staff personnel, and their immediate family members living in the same household are eligible to contribute to ALPA-PAC. ALPA-PAC maintains and enforces a policy of refusing to accept contributions from any other source. ALPA members may learn more about ALPA-PAC and about contributing to ALPA-PAC by entering the members-only portion of alpa.org. 1876 March ALP-PAC_wingman_ad_fullpg.indd 1 2/10/2015 2:27:06 PM THE WIDGETDELTA MASTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL • ATLANTA, GEORGIA CONTENTS VOLUME 3 • NUMBER 1 • WINTER 2015 MEC REPORTS 3 Chairman’s Report Feature The Next Phase of the 5 Negotiating Process Articles Vice Chairman’s Report 6 Leading the Industry DAL.ALPA.ORG Secretary’s Report Your ONE STOP for 7 Is It Safe? Treasurer’s Report Proud to Serve 8 Executive Vice President’s Report The System Works 10 DAL MEC Communcations COMMITTEE REPORTS 10 Communications Delta Pilots Under One Banner Charitable Fund P TA ILO L T E 12 Negotiating S D C H D The Steps We’re Taking A N R U I F TA BLE 13 Contract Administration 24 Papers, Please . 15 Central Air Safety Pace and Procedures 18 Economic & Financial Analysis Economic and Industry Outlook 30 21 Scheduling Trainer Refinery, The MEC Scheduling Committee and the Resources Available to You Delta’s Secret Weapon 22 IT Tools for IT Committee Recommendations Managing Your 23 Strategic Planning Assessing the Tactical Situation 401(k) 24 DPCF DPCF Expands, Spreads Your Generosity 32 27 Government Affairs New Congress, Continuing Calls to Action WINTER 2015 1 CONTENTS 30 Investor Relations Trainer Refinery, Delta’s Secret Weapon What Do You 32 Retirement & Insurance Mean, I Had a Tools for Managing Your 401(k) Heart Attack? 34 Feature What do You Mean, 34 I Had a Heart Attack? 35 Hotel Membership FLIGHT TIME New Year’s Resolutions for 2015 Committee 37 Training 3,837,488 (TOTAL HOURS) FAQs on STaC Update 38 Membership 38 Average 8,585 Stats on Our New Hires Least 2,300 TOTAL NEW HIRES 41 Code Share Most 25,000 International Scope— 964 Watching It All Come Together “The January 2015 AE/ 45 Surplus is one of the larger The Mainline Trifecta International bids we have posted . we are experiencing increasing demand for all mainline 47 Committee Corner Scope— Delta confirms flying, including the 744.” $14 billion order —Andy Hummel GM–Flight Operations 49 DAL MEC Directory Watching It for 50 widebody Crew Resources, January 2, 2015 Airbus, November jets 20, 2014 All Come —Reuters Together Delta strikes pilot deal to keep jobs from, December outsourcing 31, 2014 to Virgin 41 —Bloomberg ABOUT OUR COVER Photo of the wing of an MD88 enroute from Houston to Atlanta at sunset. Photo credit: JFK MD88 Capt. Chris Nevins The Widget is an official publication of the Delta MEC. It is intended as a forum for the Delta MEC and its members in good standing in the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l. Opinions, viewpoints, articles, and photographs are actively solicited from the membership. Materials from other than elected officers represent the view of the writer only. Poor taste will not be considered. Letters to the editor are welcomed and should be submitted in writing to the Widget at 100 Hartsfield Centre Parkway, Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30354, or e-mail to [email protected]. No anonymous material will be considered. 2 THE WIDGET| A publication of the Delta MEC CHAIRMAN’S REPORT The Next Phase of the Negotiating Process By Captain Mike Donatelli The beginning of 2015 marks the beginning of the next phase of our negotiating process. We will start this year by welcoming some new faces to the Delta MEC and building on the continuous pace of events leading up to the exchange of openers in Contract 2015. Captain Mike Donatelli Delta MEC Chairman I always start our meetings by reminding end, both sides of the table must be willing pilots of the hard facts of why we are here, to reach an agreement, both sides must and what a union is supposed to do. We be empowered to reach an agreement, and elect our union to accomplish three tasks: both sides must have the courage to sign to negotiate contracts, to enforce contracts, an agreement. and to promote our profession. So if the deal is the goal, why are they Since emerging from bankruptcy, we have often so elusive in our line of business? distinguished ourselves by negotiating Sometimes the blame goes to the manage- improvements at every opportunity; we ment side of table, whether it’s a lack of are always open for business, and we have imagination or an inability to negotiate in made solid improvements to our pay, work good faith. Under our bankruptcy man- rules, and job protec- agement in 2005–2006, when we were tions without having taken to court, we formed a Strike Com- We elect our union to wait for an amend- mittee and were determined to strike if to accomplish three tasks: able date to negotiate management took action to negate our them. We’ve been contract and dictate terms. We under- to negotiate contracts, to successful with this stood the dire nature of the management’s rational approach, and position and were willing to be a part of enforce contracts, and to we intend to keep do- the solution—but were determined not ing business this way. to be made the scapegoat. Eventually, and promote our profession. because we were included, we did reach But there is one criti- an agreement. cal difference between all the letters of agreement of the last few years and the On the other hand, sometimes the ob- deal that is yet to come. Under our policy stacles are on the union side of the table. manual, you decide through membership Striking a deal imposes a responsibility that ratification to either accept or reject rejecting a deal does not; for the repre- the tentative agreement your elected sentatives who accept an agreement, it reps reach with the Company in Sec- means owning the improvements as well tion 6 negotiations. In addition to tasking as the shortcomings. It’s a balancing act that your elected reps with understanding requires keeping faith with membership the marketplace, the financials, and the and the perception to know that reaching economic and political landscape, you will a mutual agreement does not mean that we need to keep up as well. When you cast left money on the table. The contract survey your vote, it should be based on accurate isn’t a ransom note, and our opener isn’t information. an ultimatum. It takes courage to get to the point where you say “yes.” I’ve been around for a long time and I have seen a lot of changes in the industry, but We’ve spent the last year getting ready the recipe for a deal hasn’t changed. In the for these contract negotiations. We have Continued on page 4 WINTER 2015 3 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Continued from page 3 collected a lot of information from you, a senior management that has stated in front of you and tell you what we were the line pilot, and we’ve published a lot of unequivocally and publicly that they are able to achieve on your behalf. We will information for you, the line pilot. We’ve ready to bargain in good faith to reach an own the agreement in its entirety, and also polled you by telephone, gathered agreement prior to the amendable date, answer your questions as truthfully as we your input directly through your reps, and they have a history of following through know how, but we will never give you an conducted numerous meetings to discuss on their statements. agreement we don’t fully (although per- and collate that information, and are haps not unanimously) support. now getting ready to receive the direc- In the next phase of the negotiating pro- tion from the reps on exactly what our cess, you will receive a different series of It will then be left to you, the individual negotiating position will be. updates and informational pieces. I don’t pilot, to decide if the agreement is accept- like surprises and neither do you—access able. In this decision you are not guided Both sides of the upcoming negotia- to information is how we prevent surprises. by any written convention, but by what tion have shown, through their actions When the time comes for you to assess you consider best for you and your family. and statements, that they are ready and vote on a tentative agreement, you will My guarantee is that you will receive an to work for an agreement. The Delta have full knowledge of both the facts of the agreement in accord with your known MEC is equipped with the knowledge deal and the timeline of events. wishes, and that the buck stops with me. it needs—our markets’ economics, our airline’s financials, and the line pilots’ You won’t get a tentative agreement that priorities.