Happy Mother’s Day!  On this episode of Engage, we honor all moms and highlight the challenging lives of Delta pilot moms and families.  Host, First Officer Ryan Argenta, speaks with Pilot Family Matters Committee (PFMC) Chair First Officer Alison Britton, First Officer Carrie Nickell and First Officer Cassie Nelson about the issues and challenges Delta pilot moms face as they balance their careers with family life, the need for maternity and paternity improvements from Delta, and current support programs available to pilots through PFMC.

Empathy, understanding, and appreciation can only go so far when it is policy change, increased benefits, and truly supportive programs that are desired and much needed. The Delta MEC recognizes the severely lacking maternity benefits and support programs offered by Delta. While these much-needed improvements are currently being discussed in contract negotiations, the Delta MEC believes all mothers, fathers, and families should be provided exceptional paid leave and support benefits by Delta without having to negotiate for such basic and necessary provisions.  Delta’s desire for diversity must be backed by real and valuable benefits for all employees – Delta mothers, fathers, and family members have earned it.

The Delta MEC Pilot Family Matters Committee offers support and resources to pilot families on a variety of topics including maternity, paternity, and bonding leave, adoption support, and a robust maternity mentorship program walking new moms and all pilots alike through the challenges of parenthood.

Happy Mother’s Day to all Delta pilot moms! Thank you for your dedicated service to the airline and career you love and, most importantly, thank you for all you do for your children and your family.

On this episode of Engage, host Ryan Argenta learns from the Hotel Committee (Steve Koffler, Craig Stephens, Stephen Roberts) how layover hotels are sourced, contracted, and conceived and the group dives into little known secrets about crew discounts, certain perks, and why we don't get hotel loyalty points.  The group also discusses quality of life and hotel improvements for Section 6 negotiations and the need for stronger contractual language when it comes to layover hotels, transportation, and fatigue mitigation.  Ryan solves some long-held rumors and myths like which hotels did Northwest once own, why some layover hotels are not in downtown locations, and how you can get a Peloton bike delivered to your hotel room.  Plus, Did You Know?  Pilots are contractually allowed to source their own transportation if company arranged transportation does not arrive within 20 minutes?  Same goes for hotel accommodations.  And find out from the Hotel Committee the system's hottest hotels and where they are.  (Recorded March 23, 2022)

Whether you've been a Delta pilot for 30 days or 30 years, scope affects you daily.  It affects the industry. It affects your seniority. It affects the seat you hold, the airplane you fly.  If you feel stuck on a fleet, seat, or base you didn't want, scope has impacted you.   And if you've ever walked by a gate with a foreign carrier boarding Delta passengers from a hub to an international city and wondered why Delta pilots aren't flying that route, scope affects you. Nick Hoefer and George Strehlow (Scope Compliance & Analysis Committee) sit down with host Ryan Argenta to explain our current scope clause, how the surge in Delta's appetite for joint ventures and ownership in foreign carriers impacts everyone, and the need for updated scope language in our contract to include a modernized global scope agreement.  A must-listen episode for all pilots as we enter negotiations on global scope and the need to protect and preserve the "currency" that is our seniority and our careers.  (Recorded March 10, 2022 in Atlanta, GA)

Like what you're hearing?  Have a suggestion for a future episode or have a question you'd like answered "on air"?  Send us a DART at dart.alpa.org.  You have questions, we want answers.

In this episode, Host Ryan Argenta records "live" from the informational picketing line at the Atlanta Airport on March 10. Ryan's play-by-play gives listeners an inside look at how it all works along with short interviews with pilots describing why they are participating in the picket and a unique interview with supportive travelers. Also, a discussion with MEC Chairman Jason Ambrosi on how powerful and effective informational picketing is; how it drives results from the Company; and why you should consider participating in the next picketing event in your base. Also, an update on contract negotiations and other business from the MEC regular meeting held March 7-11, 2022. (Recorded on March 7-10, 2022)

Supporting Links of Interest:

Delta Passengers, Delta Pilots Deserve Better [VIDEO]

CBS News Atlanta Coverage

WSB 2 Coverage 

Brief: Operating at Redline, Again

Informational Picketing Events - Click Base Link to RSVP

LAX - March 25

SLC - April 7

DTW - April 14

SEA - April 19

MSP - April 21

Questions?  Please email [email protected]

Part 3 of Scheduling, Fatigue, and Rotation Construction.  Host Ryan Argenta speaks with fatigue expert Lisa Nydahl (Flight Time/Duty Time Committee Chairman) about how rotations are constructed, how scheduling changes lead to chronic fatigue, and how pilots are being used as "circuit breakers" to safely fly the operation at its current redline pace.  Special guest, an A320 Captain, asks Lisa a very poignant and important question.  Plus, myths and rumors, questions submitted by pilots, and more. (Recorded March 2, 2022)

Negotiating Committee Chairman Chad Smith discusses how last week's negotiating sessions with the company went. Chad explains the disparity between ALPA's and the Company's position on Section 8, Deadhead, and talks about progress made on Sections 11 and 23, Training and Scheduling as well as a new Global Scope deal and A321neo pay rates.  (Recorded February 28, 2022)  

Part 2 of Scheduling, Fatigue, and Rotation Construction.  Host Ryan Argenta delves deeper into scheduling issues and quality of life for Delta pilots.  Guests Shawn Kellett (MEC Scheduling Committee Chairman), Frank Wedding (Scheduling Committee Vice Chairman), and Jessica McMahon (FRB Chairman) answer questions submitted by pilots, debunk common myths and rumors, and uncover a strange strategy the Company uses to create rotations that management doesn't want pilots to know about.  (Recorded on February 10, 2022)

0:00 - What the Scheduling Committee wants you to know

7:50 - Rumors and Myths: Payback Day Usage

10:14 - Rumors and Myths: Extensions

12:33 - Calling the Duty Pilot

14:08 - Pilot Questions Answered

19:48 - What Management doesn't want you to know

26:37 - Minimum Rest

Like what you're hearing?  Have a suggestion for a future episode or have a question you'd like answered "on air"?  Send us a DART at dart.alpa.org.  You have questions, we want answers.

February 16, 2022: Host Ryan Argenta discusses interesting and controversial issues with MEC Scheduling Committee Chairman Shawn Kellett and Vice Chairman Frank Wedding.  The guests dive into the current state of fatiguing rotations, reroutes, extensions, and "The Optimizer" - all of which affect quality of life and safety of flight for Delta pilots.  Special guest Jessica McMahon, Fitness Review Board Chairman, weighs in on calling in fatigued and the need for contractual changes to better support Delta pilots.  Part 1 of a 3-part series on Scheduling, Rotation Construction, Fatigue, and the future of quality of life for Delta pilots.

0:00 - What the Scheduling Committee does for you

5:33 - Resolving Scheduling and Pay Issues

15:00 - The Optimizer

27:30 - ACE for Unions App - Scheduling Issues

33:00 - Fatigue with Jessica McMahon

43:35 - How to Call in Fatigue, What Happens Next

Like what you're hearing?  Have a suggestion for a future episode or have a question you'd like answered "on air"?  Send us a DART at dart.alpa.org.  You have questions, we want answers.  

January 27, 2022: A new host, Ryan Argenta (Communications) interviews Chad Smith (Negotiating) and MEC Chairman Jason Ambrosi about the state of our union, upcoming informational picketing, the status of Section 6 negotiations, NFLY, and fatigue. He also speaks with Scott Bowles (R&I) about the Market Based Cash Balance Plan. 

0:00 – State of the Union

January 17, 2022: Listen in as Delta MEC Chairman Jason Ambrosi discusses the Section 6 process with Negotiating Chairman, Chad Smith and ALPA attorney, Andrew Brenner. This episode touches on the Railway Labor Act and the restart of negotiations on 1/18/2022.