Wednesday, March 14, 2001
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Wednesday, March 14, 2001 |
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I concede: it's not about the money By DAVE HAMRICK Not surprisingly, I had a chance to chat with a few Delta pilots following last week's column. Somewhat surprisingly, though, the conversations were generally pretty congenial. No yelling or name calling. And some points of interest were made. My central point was that a strike by Delta pilots would cripple the local economy so that people who earn an already princely income could force still more out of their employer, and that's probably not a good thing. I was berated for shooting from the hip in my reference to an "illegal sick-out" in December, to which I plead guilty. If I'd thought about it for a few minutes, I'd have remembered it was an illegal work slowdown. Nobody phoned in sick they just refused to fly overtime, leaving passengers holding the bag, so to speak. One caller insisted, also, that not only was the pilots' union not involved in the slowdown but actually was against it. The action was unauthorized. That's something you can't prove one way or another, but I'll give them that one, too. I've also looked a little deeper into the issues involved in the pilots' threatened strike since last week. Several pilots have insisted, "It's not about the money," and I'm sure that for many pilots it's not. One big sore spot is that Delta has developed a tendency lately to assign its commuter subsidiaries to routes that previously were handled by the main corporation's big jets, leaving the union pilots with less opportunity to log flying time, hurting them directly and by slowing down their ability to develop seniority. But then, in its own way, that's still about money, isn't it? I was also reminded that the pilots took a pay "cut" early in the '90s to help the airline over a rough spot. (A cut, in this case, means they didn't get as much of an increase as they had previously been promised). Now they're unhappy because Delta immediately started earning huge profits but never went back and brought the pilots back up to the levels they would have enjoyed had they not agreed to the cut. Again, the protest that it's "not about the money" doesn't seem to ring true. In fact, I took a look at a recent news release from ALPA, the Airline Pilots Association, laying out the issues that haven't been resolved, and the only one I can find that doesn't involve money is "work rules for Delta's Orlando-based Express operation." Of course, that phrase is also preceded by "pay and ..." When you pin the pilots down, they'll even agree that the money they're making is pretty fabulous compared to just about anyone except corporate CEOs, actors, rock and sports stars, and underneath it all they're really pretty happy overall. So why the seeming inevitability of all-out war with management? Well, some say it's not inevitable, while others say it is. I don't know. But I do know that there's a large group of people that would be hurt even more than most of us in the economy at large if the pilots strike, and that's the support people within the airline who would be put out of work, as well as those in the vast network of suppliers who depend on its business. Here are some excerpts from an e-mail that's been circulating among employees: "A note to our fellow employees-Delta Pilots: "Remember me? "I am the reservations agent who answers your questions and makes the reservations for you and your family travel plans. I am pleasant and patient while I find the best deals for you. "... I am the mechanic who repairs the aircraft and makes your job and the plane you are flying safe. "I am the PSA who has listened to countless families cry and tell their horrible stories of the hour the work action you performed during the holidays disrupted their lives and ruined their Christmas. "I am worried. In an effort to make life better for you and your family, you are showing total disregard and care for my family and me. You have been offered a substantial raise I got an S1 pass. If you the pilots, do strike, I will have to get another job or two to feed my kids. I may lose my medical benefits and savings. When the strike is over, you will have a big check, and I will have a big pile of bills. "Remember me please, while you are enjoying life, and I am struggling to eat. "Your fellow Delta coworker." As I said before, I don't begrudge anyone a penny of salary, benefits or any other form of compensation. If your industry is doing well enough to pay you that much, more power to you. I also understand that there are two sides to everything, and Delta may not be negotiating in the best of faith. But is it worth throwing the economy in Atlanta into a tailspin and risking your own future employment to get those last few concessions? There's one more aspect of this standoff that's worth a mention ... the apparent demise of what once was known as "the Delta family." More on that next week.
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