Fellow Delta pilots,
I did not intend to write to you so soon after my first letter, but after reading Captain Graham’s memoto you Thursday I felt the need to tell the rest of the story.
Delta has once again committed a serious violation of the scope provisions of our PWA. This latest violation marks the fourteenth Section 1 E. scope violation since July 2016. This is in addition to the A350 scope violation in 2017 in which an arbitrator ruled against the Company, issuing a decisionfinding that Delta’s disregard of our scope was willful in nature. Further compounding the scope issue, the Company has routinely not been timely in adhering to the reporting requirements of Section 1 L. 2. of the PWA.
Although not mentioned in Captain Graham’s memo, it was ALPA who first forecasted the violation after analyzing scheduled operations in the OAG data. We brought it to the attention of the Company in early December and there were no attempts at compliance. While I appreciate that the Company is willing to offer regret for the violations, the simple reality is that the Company made a business decision to proceed without honoring our PWA. The scope violations are in addition to not honoring what was agreed to with Bonding Leave, Supplemental Vacation Days, and many other non-scope violations of late.
In my first letter, I wrote about how the Delta MEC wishes to be a good business partner with the Company. We are in this together, but to be partners there must be respect and each side must honor their agreements. Our PWA is not a doormat to be trampled on without consequence. It has meaning. It is what weds us to Delta and every part of it must be followed.
Yesterday, I sent a letter to Captain Graham demanding the Company cease and desist from these continuing scope violations. While I am pleased to hear that the Company is forming a cross-divisional team to look for future compliance issues, the reality is this along with the other violations could have, and should have, been avoided. Rather than AeroMéxico flying flights from ATL, DTW and SEA to Mexico, those flights could have been operated with Delta aircraft flown by Delta pilots. Had the Company chosen to operate these flights instead of having our joint venture partner AeroMéxico do the flying, we would not likely be having Section 1 E. 8. and Section 1 E. 3. violations, even with the Mexcian service reductions. Going forward, ALPA should have a part in the cross-divisional team to add an additional layer of oversight to keep these mistakes from happening again.
I will be meeting in person with Delta CEO Ed Bastian this coming week. We must have assurances that this pattern of flagrant violations and the blatant disregard of our scope will cease immediately. Following the Rules of the Road, the Company must honor their agreements going forward. Additionally, we strongly encourage the Company to authorize its negotiators to make a long past duewritten offer which confirms Delta’s verbal assurances of equal growth, does not reduce the Deltapilots’ current share up to 10% of the AeroMéxico trans-border production balance and addressesALPA’s concern with the 49% ownership stake in AeroMéxico. The MEC will continue to vigorously pursue the increasing number of scope violations via the grievance process.
January 12, 2019
In the meantime, I ask that you contact your reps and chief pilots to share how you feel about the damaging and repeated threats to your careers posed by the absence of sharing in the equitable growth of JV flying for the Delta pilots and the constant scope violations the Company is committing.
In unity,
Captain Ryan Schnitzler,
Chairman Delta Master Executive Council