Dear Fellow Pilot:
It has been a privilege to serve as your MEC Chairman over the past two years. I would like to start my final letter as MEC Chairman with a thank you. Thank you for your solidarity, for your professionalism and for taking care of your crew and our customers over this challenging holiday travel period. As the end of 2022 quickly approaches, I want to provide you with an update on the Global Scope agreement, next steps on the Agreement in Principle (AIP) and share some closing thoughts as a new team of MEC officers prepare to take office on January 1.
Global Scope Tentative Agreement
I’m pleased to report that after many months of writing detailed contractual language, your Negotiating Committee (NC) reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) on Global Scope this week. Due to the complexity of the agreement, it took considerable time to ensure the new language was iron clad.
As you recall, Global Scope negotiations began during the height of the pandemic and outside of the Section 6 process. Your union realized a unique opportunity to achieve significant improvements to our scope language as the global air travel landscape shifted. Negotiations with management took place over 14 months, ultimately reaching an AIP in May. This industry-leading TA, if ratified, will ensure Delta pilots share equitably in international flying by establishing a one-for-one growth guarantee of widebody flying relative to Delta’s Joint Venture (JV) partners.
The final TA language will be provided to the MEC for review and consideration. If the MEC votes to approve the TA, it will be presented to the membership for ratification. Any vote on the Global Scope Letter of Agreement (LOA) will be decided independent of our Section 6 ratification process, though taking place concurrently with the ratification vote on the comprehensive AIP. If this TA is ratified, the disparity between Delta international flying and those of our JV partners will finally be in the rearview mirror.
Update on AIP
Your NC continues to work overtime putting the finishing touches on the final TA language. Like Global Scope, when a TA is reached, it is critical that the language accurately reflects what was agreed to at the table. Writing and reviewing the contract language in each TA section has been time-consuming, and I want to thank the NC and professional staff for their hard work throughout this process.
When the AIP was reached, both parties agreed that the contract would become effective on the date of signing. However, this would mean pay rate increases would not occur on January 1 as is historically the case with our PWA. With this in mind, Negotiating Committee Chair Capt. Eric Criswell and I met with Delta executives to present our concerns. We did not want the MEC, nor the pilot group, to feel pressured into fast-tracking the ratification process to capture long-overdue pay raises. I’m glad to report that if approved by the membership on March 1, we have negotiated that compensation will take effect retroactively on January 1, 2023. This includes associated DC contributions. Additionally, subsequent raises will take effect each January 1 and the amendable date will become December 31, 2026, effectively moving the agreement up by two months. I appreciate the Company’s willingness to take this significant step and the commitment to recognize our timeline.
Once the TA language writing is complete, the MEC will have the time needed to thoroughly review these details and the many proposed changes to our PWA. If the MEC votes to approve the TA for membership ratification, you will have the requisite opportunity to review the TA as well as the many other sources of information such as Negotiators’ Notepads, roadshows, podcasts, etc., to ensure you make an informed decision when it comes time to cast your ballot.
Stay Engaged
Incoming MEC Chairman Capt. Darren Hartmann is a long-time pilot advocate and union volunteer. He has been involved in the Section 6 process from the onset as a DTW Council 20 representative and is well-versed on issues that impact Delta pilots. Darren has a strong team behind him. The MEC committee structure will largely remain intact and will hit the ground running next year.
On January 1, I will proudly and humbly take office as ALPA President. Over the last four years as MEC Secretary and Chairman, I have had the honor to work side by side with an incredible group of dedicated volunteers. While elected officers and representatives are often front and center in communications and dealings with management, I’d like to personally thank the hundreds of other pilots and staff that work tirelessly on behalf of the Delta pilots.
I hope that you continue to stay engaged and show your solidarity as we work together to bring our long-overdue contract over the finish line. Your engagement has brought us to this pivotal time in our history, and I’m confident that we will be at the top of the industry, once again, in the new year.