One problem is the difference in age of their pilots. Northwest pilots are older than Delta pilots because many Delta senior pilots retired prior to airline's 2005 bankruptcy filing.

Northwest still have unresolved issues 22 years after the carrier's combination with Republic Airlines.

Northwest, with its Pacific routes, had a fleet of widebody aircraft and pilots who wanted to fly them, then it bought Republic. Republic pilots came into the ranks, some with years of experience that would put them in line for the big planes ahead of Northwest pilots.

An arbitrator decided that pre-merger Northwest pilots would stay in line for the big jets ahead of Republic pilots. That locked Republic pilots out of widebody flying for decades and caused serious bitterness.
Delta's pilots don't want arrbitration because younger Delta pilots might lose the seniority they obtained after the mass exodus of older pilots, As a result, some of those Delta pilots may be on the same footing as older Northwest pilots who have been flying longer, Kasper said.

There was no similar exodus of veteran Northwest pilots when it went through bankruptcy because the company froze pilot pensions _ so they still got what they had earned, although their pensions stopped growing. Delta terminated its pilots' defined benefit pension plan while the company was in bankruptcy.

Northwest wants seniorty, the normal one year for one year. It this is done thousands of young Delta pilots to go to the bottom of the combined seniorit.
But Greg Rizzuto, a spokesman for Northwest's pilots union, said Wednesday that the labor group is united, and all it wants is what's fair, noting that a pilot's career is tied to his or her seniority ranking.

"The US Airways guys, who were in bankruptcy, if they had their druthers they would have stapled every single America West pilot to the bottom of their seniority list," Mann said. "You have some of the same emotion playing out here."

In others words, fairness, and senority, have ...NOTHING..to do with what the Delta pilots want....get it..?

It is so blatant, a lot of people feel they don't understand it.

You wrote:
"In others words, fairness, and seniority, have ...NOTHING..to do with what the Delta pilots want....get it..?
It is so blatant, a lot of people feel they don't understand it."

You honestly don't know as much as you think you know about our contract. It appears to me that you have done some internet study, but just because I read on the internet how to make stained glass doesn't mean I can go make a stained glass window.
I imagine because you worked for Delta you feel you somehow know what the pilots at the company you retired from are asking for and what all of our concerns are. I will say that after 10 years at Delta, I can't tell you what Delta Mechanics want and desire. I would never be so presumptuous as to try and speak for them.
So, old beachbear (who has admitted to dating pilots. We should schedule a special coffee outing ).... Here is the deal:
In a merger, you don't strictly look for pure seniority-based mergers. The two companies are different entities. Senior Northwest guys still have pensions. Delta guys do not. Compensation and career progression are different at the pre-merger airlines.
What ALPA seeks in a post merger environment is the smallest effect in a pilot's CAREER PROGRESSION . At the end of a merger, we try to have each pilot's ultimate career path disturbed as little as possible by the effects of a merger. If ASA merged with Delta, and an ASA pilot would expect to make $120,000 at the end of their ASA career, you would not do a straight date of hire merger and put them in front of a Delta pilot who would expect a much different rate of compensation at the twilight of his or her career. You would come up with a formula which would allow each pilot to achieve their expected career goals.
If you like, Oldbeachbear, you can presume to know exactly what we Delta guys are asking for. Respectfully, I say you don't have the most accurate view of our contractual concerns, but feel free to offer your opinion. When you start dating Delta pilots again, you'll hope they have the best compensation possible.
Cheers,
Kevin "Hack" King

Next time you want to tell someone what a pilot "really" means, do what I did after 28 years in Air-crew records. Walk outside, get a 3 foot long 2x4 and smash it against your face as hard as you can!
Does it help? No, but it sure does feel better than arguing with a pilot!