FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines: The Definitive Merger Thread
Old Mar 9, 2008 | 1:10 pm
  #1249  
KeaauFlyer
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Originally Posted by RobertS975
Many DL senior pilots opted for early retirement in the period before bankruptcy to get the most out of their pension deals. So what I have heard is that the NW pilot group is slanted towards the greater seniority over the DL group.
Very true. When all those very senior DL pilots retired, a lot of not-so-senior people moved up in the pecking order to better aircraft, better bidding rights for scheduling, etc. Now they don't want to give that up so that NW pilots (whose pensions were better protected in bankruptcy) can retain their seniority. I won't presume to say what is fair since both sides have some good points. The DL pilot's union has a history of brinksmanship and holding out until very late in the game before becoming serious about compromising. I can remember those guys doing "informational picketing" about a possible strike at ATL at a time when the very existence of DL was in question. (That got some jeers from passing PAX.) In fairness, it could be said that the NW guys want to hold on to their pensions and their seniority, too. This should be interesting.
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