Fellow Delta Pilots,

As we wrap up the holiday season and start the new year, I am honored and humbled to join a truly remarkable group of pilot advocates who are now in your service as members of the Delta MEC leadership team. This team includes individuals who have experience serving as Local Council representatives and in leadership roles on the Negotiating, Scheduling, Training, Scope, Communications, Safety, Government Affairs committees, the military, and more. I have high confidence in this team’s ability to execute and am excited to leverage their talents for the benefit of all Delta pilots.

Having served on the Negotiating Committee for the last round of contract negotiations, it is etched in my mind how critical your dedication and resolve was in helping us achieve our most recent PWA, which set a new standard for our profession. Together we have proven that even under the most challenging of circumstances, including the COVID pandemic, we do not have to self-fund improvements to our pay and working conditions via ill-advised and unnecessary concessions. The skillset we collectively possess as professional aviators ensures the safety of millions of Delta passengers each year. We must carry the same confident professionalism to the bargaining table that we repeatedly bring to the flight deck.

You have also made it crystal clear that you expect management to follow through on every commitment they made at the negotiating table – without exception. We commend the enormous efforts undertaken over the last two years to implement over 200 changes to our contract, largely on time and that honor the intent of what was negotiated.

However, there is a growing list of disputes between ALPA and management that prove we can never relax our focus. Included in these disputes are our hard-fought deadhead seating entitlements, crew meals, reserve rules, personal electronic privacy, as well as simply ensuring our pilots are consistently paid properly. We must aggressively and unapologetically defend the rights of our pilots using all resources at our disposal.

I would also like to recognize the dedicated team of pilot volunteers working for the Delta pilots in our various committees. These individuals are largely unsung heroes advocating daily for our pilots in an untold number of ways. This organization, and the support it provides, would not work without the wide-ranging talents these pilots bring to the table. Please consider participating in union service at some point during your career, as it can be extremely rewarding to help your fellow pilots.

As we look to the year ahead, we will once again be preparing for our next round of contract negotiations, which will commence in April 2026. This process begins in earnest at the March 2025 MEC meeting with the election of the next Negotiating Committee. For the NC to carry a unified message to the table, the MEC must thoroughly understand your priorities for the next contract. It is critical that you stay engaged and make your voice heard via numerous outreach efforts, including a comprehensive contract survey and an ongoing polling campaign designed to ensure your MEC is always operating with the most up to date feedback possible.

Delta pilots have had much to be thankful for over recent years. Still, we must keep our eyes focused on the current and future challenges that will soon undoubtedly test our pilot group once again. I am grateful for the privilege of representing you during this exciting time.