In a report from an airline labor group, American Airlines’ pilot union, APA, is urging members to “Apply to Delta now” as contract negotiations aren’t progressing.
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Contract Negotiations Not Progressing
In an email to members, an American Airlines pilot group for Philadelphia-based pilots strongly recommended that American Airlines pilots apply to Delta Air Lines adding, “Don’t hope for the best, hedge your bet and apply to Delta now.” Elsewhere in the document the co-authored letter from chair DiOrio and vice chair Wilkes put in all capital letters, “APPLY TO DELTA NOW AS A PLACEHOLDER” if quality of life is important to [members.]
The email, shared by aviation insider JonNYC, was sent by Philadelphia-based reps and outlined the frustrations and challenges of obtaining a competitive agreement with management.
— 🇺🇦 JonNYC 🇺🇦 (@xJonNYC) February 9, 2023
One of the more scathing pieces addressed just how far behind the compensation package is at American vs. Delta:
“Not that we want to rub it in, but pilots at Delta will make substantially more than pilots here at American. This is even before Delta’s industry-leading pay rates take effect. This disparity is only further worsened by this management’s insistence that all wholly owned employees be included in the total profit sharing pool, which reduces the profit sharing payout for American Airlines pilots by about 10%. So even if this management team can figure out how to match Delta profits, we will still receive 10% less profit sharing as a result of the larger payout pool here at American.” – shared by ViewFromTheWing.
Funny they should say that as Delta just put out a marketing piece touting its profit sharing which bests both United and American combined, not just in percentage shared but in net nominal dollars, $7.3bn compared to a combined $3.6bn at the other two carriers.
It’s also worth noting that the subtle dig, “So even if this management team can figure out how to match Delta profits” is something that this site has been highlighting for years. American Airlines so rarely makes money from flying passengers and cargo relying nearly entirely on its loyalty program for profit. While many airlines see a substantial financial impact from its loyalty program, few have been so incredibly profit averse outside of the loyalty program as American Airlines team.
Delta Has Been A Good Landing Spot
The letter is clear to mention that transitioning pilots are fast-tracked for a promotion with many first officers finding themselves in the captain seat quickly.
“We have been told by newer pilots that they came to American because of the quick upward movement and upgrades. Not so fast! Delta’s most recent bid includes upgrades after just a few months at Delta. Captain upgrades with less than 1 year seniority”
It’s no secret that pilots are being poached at the moment. United has touted that it is seeing new pilots from American, Delta, and Southwest as well as ULCCs. It seems surprising that United would market itself as some sort of a pilot haven given that as recently as December, CEO Kirby was greeted by a picket line and pilots literally turning their back to him.
It would be hard to argue with Delta’s eight-year performance record of profit-sharing as well as the seniority track if the above quote holds water.
Southwest Is Ripe For A Contract Improvement
It was reported this week that a meeting between Southwest Airlines pilot representatives resulted in those pilots walking out of the meeting and Southwest CEO Bob Jordan flew American Airlines back to Dallas.
Unlike the other carriers, Southwest Airlines had a huge meltdown over the holidays in a very public fashion that was not only reputationally damaging but reported to cost more than $800 million. Southwest has more at stake with customers that have particularly trusted the carrier over the last three decades and can ill-afford pilot strikes that have been proposed for May.
Management will need to make a deal, even a bad one for the airline, to avoid further damage to the carrier’s reputation. That will put more pressure on American to be competitive in its pilot contract potentially, though American management has not always responded to labor strife with a clear-headed approach in this writer’s opinion.
CONCLUSION
Labor struggles are nothing new for American Airlines current management team and frankly, neither are labor groups assertions that negotiations aren’t improving. However, the aforementioned labor group’s leadership makes salient points in favor of moving to Delta and the Atlanta-based carrier has the receipts to backup that they are the best destination for pilots.
What do you think? Should American Airlines pilots hedge their bets and apply to Delta?
The irony of a union telling it’s members life is better in a company with less union representation.
?
DL pilots also belong in a union
Less union representation overall in the org with FA’s not being unionized
Delta’s pilots are in a union. And if you are against unions, you have never worked for a living.
@billnye – The two are not mutually exclusive. You can both have worked for a living and not support unions. Some unions, like management, have bloat at the top, do not have the best intent for its membership, may have disregard for the business, management, or customers the unions ultimately rely on. Some unions protect members even when those members have done wrong for which they should face consequences. Some unions are great and keep management from taking advantage of employees. But your assertion is a false dichotomy.
Facts show that if you are a union supporter, you in fact have never worked for a living, nor want to, while also being very uneducated, hateful, and racist…. Your standard Lib….
I doubt most are going to give up their seniority to start over again.
Facts show that if you are a union supporter, you in fact have never worked for a living, nor want to, while also being very uneducated, hateful, and racist…. Your standard Lib….
Independent, not liberal. Unions have pros and cons and seemingly more cons than pros at this point.
Wow, you sure convinced me, Sonny
The union is rattling its saber as negotiations near. However, I find it odd to recommend a competitor. It’s’ up to the national branch of the union to make such comments, not local branches with could compromise negotiations. I feel a few Philadelphia pilots will get their hand slapped.
In most industries I know, people get fired for these kinds of actions.
Won’t happen. Alpa and the Apa keep the weasels in management in check.
Soooo their #1 gripe is that the lowest paid employees at the entire company are getting a small cut of profit sharing on their meager earnings, which tragically cuts into a tiny percentage of the pilots’ bonus on a $200,000 average income? Y’all can go to the deepest layer of hell, srsly
We fly airplanes for a living, we don’t flip burgers. You may think we are all the same and we all deserve the same salary. We don’t. By far. 200k average is peanuts for us. But you are more than welcome to start your own airline with underpaid pilots. And I want to see you fly with them.
American’s union was destroyed by Judge Kendall decades ago. Kendall announced that ‘when I am done with APA they will be able to put their assets in the overhead bin of a Piper Cub’. This was before this impartial (?) judge heard any evidence in court.
If this is how we are are going to treat professionals who spend years and tens of thousands becoming highly qualified there is no reason to have any ambition in the USA..
If you want to ONLY raise pay for the lowest paid and least qualified employees who did not dedicate years and thousands to get their job then it is stupid to work to become qualified as a pilot.
management are the over paid ones here. They have done nothing innovative in years and profit from the momentum generated by the airlines years ago.
Overpaid, bloated, greedy, corporate management is destroying the whole country so they can line their own pockets.
Any whining about pilots is just smoke and mirrors generated to obscure that management is the problem..
No management wants to train any workers or pay workers. And we wonder why it is all falling apart.
There are endless idiot ideas floated around about how to get rid of pilots or work them like slaves until they die. Nobody bases these ideas based on extensive flying knowledge and skill. They are all based on cheap.
If this wasn’t true every concessionary contract the pilots sign wouldn’t be celebrated by management taking millions in bonuses and dancing on our financial graves. But it happens every time.