You live in a workplace with rules and procedures that ensure the safe and standardized operation of your aircraft. Your Delta contract also outlines mutually agreed-upon rules and procedures. When disagreements with management occur, ALPA’s representation department has been and will continue to be there to help you resolve them.

 

ALPA's Team Approach to Negotiations

 

Delta pilot leaders chart the course of negotiations and make every decision when negotiating a contract. However, sometimes you need help to wade through the Railway Labor Act (RLA). Delta pilots can always call on teams of ALPA experts and advisors to assist the pilot group in achieving their goals through the negotiations process. That team includes:

• Professional negotiators in ALPA's Representation Dept.
• Financial analysts in ALPA's Economic & Financial Analysis Dept.
• Attorneys in ALPA's Legal Dept., and others in general counsel's law firm,
• Retirement and Insurance benefit specialists, including benefit attorneys, pension investment advisors, and pension actuaries,
• A dedicated communications specialist from ALPA's Communications Dept.

Negotiating a collective bargaining agreement under the RLA can present some unique challenges. With ALPA, the Delta MEC Negotiating team can respond to these challenges using a time-tested team approach to negotiations.

Years of experience, an in-depth understanding of the complexities of the RLA, a long history of bringing industry-leading contracts to Delta, and a commitment to best practices have molded the ALPA team approach into an extremely effective process for achieving Delta pilots’ contract goal. Our approach looks beyond just this contract, but toward future contracts as well.

In the team approach, Delta pilot volunteers, elected officers, committees, and ALPA staff fulfill specific roles and responsibilities in negotiations. This team strategy capitalizes on each player's particular expertise, knowledge, and experience, which enables the Delta pilot group to consistently deliver a powerful, unified, and effective effort.

ALPA's Representation Department:

•  Supports and monitors the collective bargaining process from beginning to end—when one contract negotiation ends, your representation department is already planning for the next.
• Provides professional negotiators to work with pilot negotiating committees.
• Works to enforce collective bargaining agreements once they have been signed.
• Represents individual pilots on matters ranging from contract grievances to government administrative actions, aeromedical cases, drug and alcohol issues, and regulatory authorities' incident and accident investigations.
• Hosts collective bargaining seminars and offers an annual seminar on grievance and system board procedures, as well as an annual negotiations training seminar for ALPA's represented pilot groups, so when you bring in new volunteers, you’ll know they will be ready to serve.