Delta Pilots Approve 14% Pay Cuts

[Rose Siding]

(CBS/AP) Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots voted on Wednesday to approve a 14 percent pay cut in a deal their union worked out with management to help the bankrupt carrier cope with an expected cash crunch.

It's the second double-digit pay cut the airline pilots have accepted in 13 months.
....
Before the two sides reached the tentative agreement, the union had threatened to call a strike if the pilot contract was thrown out.

Rank-and-file pilots will see their average salary of roughly $170,000 reduced to about $146,000. The pilots also would give up other pilot pay and cost items equal to an additional 1 percent hourly wage reduction.

The agreement, which the airline said would save $143 million, adds to the $1 billion in annual concessions Delta pilots agreed to in a five-year deal reached in 2004. That deal, which was meant to keep the cash-strapped airline out of bankruptcy, included a 32.5 percent pay cut.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/28/business/main1168861.shtml

[ixion]

1. I guess they didn't get the memo: the economy is booming

which means the airlines should, in theory, be making money. ;-)

[pitohui]

5. how do you figure?

the flights are full, unfortunately, as delta has said in the past, they lose $23 on every passenger they fly, their plan to make it up in volume didn't work

i don't know of any model under which a usa airline can 1) service internat'l and domestic and not cherry-pick destinations, 2) pay these high fuel prices, and 3) accept these near historic low ticket prices and still make money

even southwest, which doesn't fly internat'l -- and you'll find it a long walk to tokyo, my friend -- only makes money by fuel hedging contracts (gambling) not by flying passengers -- and the contracts are going to run out

you can argue that airlines should (or should not) be nationalized, you can argue that ceo's should be limited in pay they receive, but i don't know how you can reasonably argue that our airlines can make money under current conditions

most ideas i hear are from people who obviously don't fly, because it's always something like, "be more like southwest" (in other words, cherry pick yr destinations, don't fly internationally, and don't reward your loyal frequent customers w. first class seats) -- that don't even work for southwest since they make their money from the actual flying and it sure isn't going to work for the others

[October]

10. Fine

Sorry, posted in wrong place...

[Deja Q]

2. Hell, I'd love to EARN $146,000 - period. And how about those who earn

ZILCH because they have no jobs?

I'm also mindful of this: How much of a cut did the executives take? They get paid the most because they have to make the big decisions and purportedly be responsible for profits or the lack thereof...

[msongs]

8. $40 million for baseball players, $35K for teachers.

now there's american family values for ya.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[October]

11. Fine...

Go to college, build 7-10K of flight time for next-to-nothing-pay...and then continue to be "perfect" for the rest of your career...

That's all it takes.

/sarcasm

[pfitz59]

12. Misleading article......

No such thing as "rank & file pilots". Pay is tiered system based on seniority. Higher pay kicks in after 10+ years with airlines (usually 45+ years old). Mandatory retirement is 60. Even top tier Captains achieve peak earnings for a decade or less! Pilots live on the edge, one failed physical, or flight viloation of DUI or whatever and their career is over!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

3. "America's economy is strong and it is getting stronger"...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040327.html

[SOS]

4. Is Delta CEO Leo Mullin

still getting $32 million a year?

[ny_liberal]

6. is the CEO taking a paycut?

probably not

[msongs]

7. save money-> remove airplane tires, less weight = less jet fuel. nt

[pinniped]

9. Like my friend who used to work at United, vote for a pay cut and get...

laid off.