Why now?
At the August MEC meeting, your elected union representatives unanimously approved a resolution calling for a strike authorization ballot at the appropriate time as determined by the Negotiating Committee, the MEC and the MEC Chairman. That time is now.
On Wednesday, management presented your Negotiating Committee with the Company’s proposal for Section 3 – Compensation. Rather than recognizing our significant efforts as frontline leaders, management chose to squander an opportunity to reach a timely agreement by providing a woefully inadequate proposal. This proposal does not even come close to alleviating the impact of inflation on pilot purchasing power over the thousand-plus days since the amendable date nor does it recognize the extraordinary efforts of the Delta pilots over the last several years. Through statistically valid polling, surveys and your direct contact with the elected union reps, we know what management put on the table falls substantially short of your expectations and what we have earned.
Undoubtedly, there is interest in the specific details of management’s proposal. While the parties are able to discuss proposals in general terms, the National Mediation Board (NMB) has instituted a protocol preventing both sides from discussing details related to pay or disseminating the terms of compensation proposals made by either side until there is a tentative agreement. This is a common NMB practice during the end-game of most mediated negotiations.
Your historic displays of solidarity on the picket line this spring and summer demonstrated our resolve to bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion. Now, we must take the next step available to us under the Railway Labor Act and continue to show that resolve through overwhelming support for the strike authorization ballot. I ask that you join me in sending a resounding message to management that we are nearly 15,000 pilots strong, will not stand for meager economic proposals and are willing to go the distance to achieve our contractual goals. Your Negotiating Committee would not ask for a vote in favor unless this additional leverage was needed to get our negotiations over the finish line.
We have said this on many occasions, but it bears repeating: we have witnessed management invest billions of dollars in stock buy-backs, foreign carriers, wholly-owned subsidiaries and pay raises to other employees – all while we work under pay rates, working conditions and benefits negotiated in 2016. With the compensation proposal management just slid across the table, there is no indication that Delta values its pilots as the best in the industry, or recognition that Delta is significantly more profitable than its competitors.
It’s time to say “I’m in favor” of providing my Negotiating Committee with leverage to show management we are ready to conclude these negotiations with a contract that truly reflects our rightful place in the industry.
Please continue to stay engaged and look for more information during the 30-day ballot window. I’m confident in our solidarity and that our collective resolve will achieve long overdue contractual gains.