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"We are the protagonists of our stories called life, and there is no limit to how high we can fly."


PHD. MBA. MHS. Type rated on A350, A330, B777, B747-400, B747-200, B757, B767, B737, B727. International Airline Pilot / Author / Speaker. Dedicated to giving the gift of wings to anyone following their dreams. Supporting Aviation Safety through training, writing, and inspiration. Fighting for Aviation Safety and Airline Employee Advocacy. Safety Culture and SMS change agent.

DPA

I've been asked often about the DPA.... Delta Pilots Association... and their platform.

Inquiring minds want to know... here it is:

WHAT DPA HAS TO OFFER
  
1.  Financial transparency to members – One click access to ALL the financials is available to EVERY DPA Member. Once you are a member, login and click “DPA Finance Log” in the sidebar. External audits will validate the data the Members ALREADY have. We will know our dues are being spent wisely.

2.  Financial efficiency – NO subsidizing the regional carriers who want our flying How our current dues are distributed: More than 16% (approx. $689,000 in 2010) of the MEC’s account allocation for operating income is redistributed to smaller ALPA carriers. ALL DPA dues go completely to meeting Delta Pilots’ needs and desires.

3.  Financial responsibility – Reduce excessive and unnecessary spending of Member dues. (For example - $6,500/mo housing allowance for the President, $4,500/mo housing allowance for V.P.s, $1,600/mo car allowance, $498,000 annual compensation for the President, $120,000/year secretaries, $175,000/year magazine editors, massive bonus pensions, $329 per night hotel rooms, $260 per day per diem, etc.) DPA Officers and Block Reps will fly partial lines every month and will earn a reasonable reward for service to the Delta Pilots.

4.  Seniority Block Representation– Your Rep comes from your seniority group regardless of base affiliation, promoting cohesion, participation and involvement in YOUR issues through technology. The Reps know the issues of their constituents because they are living the successes and trials of their group. Get to know your seniority block Members and your Block Rep. Establish communication and common goals for your group.  Move your ideas forward.  Keep your Block Rep indefinitely if he or she is representing you effectively; remove them if they are not. Participate in Block surveys with real-time feedback keeping Reps accountable for Members’ wishes.

5.  True “Bottom Up” representation – the Block Reps dictate to the President who is simply voicing the Members’ desires…not the other way around. (Remember the Age 60 legislation survey where the Members overwhelmingly said, “Don’t support a change!”, but the leadership defied that mandate entirely! Whether or not you agree with the change, it is a clear example of failure to respect member desires.)

6.  Professional Negotiators/Contract Lawyers/Accountants – No more pilots in the seat negotiating complex legal documents……the pilots state their desires and the pros handle it unemotionally without personal agendas. The President will read and understand the Contract before he/she signs it. Contracts will be simpler and written with a focus on enforcement and fewer loopholes.  Every pilot should be able to easily know what he or she is entitled to and responsible for.  Our current contract is so poorly written and complex, few pilots are able to master it.

7.  Freedom to take back flying without fear of lawsuits from the regional carriers who share membership in ALPA with us - No Duty of Fair Representation conflicts with regional affiliates.  (see Ford/Cooksey vs. ALPA).

8.  Freedom to seek changes to our profession that help us CAPA (Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations), the current voice for over 28,000 pilots at its member airlines: Allied Pilots Association (American Airlines), Independent Pilots Association (UPS), Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (Southwest Airlines), and US Airline Pilots Association (US Airways). CAPA wants an ATP requirement for 121 flight decks; At a recent Aviation Rulemaking Committee hearing, ALPA voted against CAPA and the 1500 hour proposal by Congress.  ALPA supported a 500 hour SIC only requirement, further devaluing mainline careers in favor of their regional members.

9.  Freedom to lower our dues to 1% from 1.95% while adding new Member benefits along the way with the huge surplus that comes from efficiency.

10.  Freedom to seek what is best for Delta pilots exclusively!