Recently the Simulator Technicians voted no to union representation. Today, Delta issued the following memos outlining increases in pay, benefits, work rules and full-year profit sharing under the Delta plan with no pro-ration. Unused sick banks will be transferred to the Delta Certified Time bank to be used for future illnesses. Simulator Technicians also have an extended opportunity to retire under the PMNW plan with subsidized medical coverage, and the pool of qualified employees will be expanded. Also important is that no changes will be made to the PMDL or PMNW retirement plans. There will be no Social Security offset applied to the PMNW plan.
Under the NMB rules, Delta can’t make promises as to what will happen if the flight attendants vote no to AFA, but today’s announcement of improvements for the Simulator Technicians is just an another example, in a long line, of Delta’s pro-employee behavior. As we all know, actions speak louder than words. Delta has consistently acted to improve pay, benefits and work rules when feasible. AFA, on the other hand has given us four and a half years of inaction with the promise of many more such years ahead if they win this election.
To: Delta Simulator Technician Colleagues
Date: September 27, 2010
Re: Simulator Technicians to begin pay, benefit transition
Now that representation has been finally and fully resolved, we will align to a common set of pay, benefits and work rules for simulator technicians. Over the next few days, you will receive detailed information on your pay and benefits transition, which will begin immediately and continue over the next few months. Here are some of the major elements of your transition.
September 28, 2010
• You will move to the Delta pay scale.
• You will participate in the Delta Profit Sharing Plan for the entire calendar year without pro-ration. In years that we have an annual profit, Delta’s Profit Sharing Plan funds a pool with at least 15% of profits beginning with the first dollar of pre-tax profit.
• You will be eligible for the Delta Shared Rewards Program starting with the month of October - the first full month following the resolution of representation.
• The benefit you earned under the Northwest Defined Benefit Pension Plan for Contract Employees is frozen and will not change. As has been previously communicated, no Social Security offset may be applied to your benefit under this plan.
• As part of this transition, those eligible for the pre-merger Northwest subsidized retiree medical program will have ample opportunity to consider whether to retire prior to January 1st in order to secure access to this benefit in retirement. In addition, the pool of those eligible for this program between now and the end of the year will be expanded so that more individuals who were close to eligibility will have an opportunity to consider this benefit.
October 2, 2010
• You will no longer need to use time clocks.
• You will transition to Delta pay rules such as overtime, shift differential, etc.
• You will begin receiving up to 7% in Delta contributions to the 401(k) plan, based on your own contributions.
• You will be covered by the Delta Holiday calendar and will be able be able to use any unused floating holidays under your current holiday schedule for the remainder of 2010 so long as the total number of holidays used in the year doesn’t exceed the 10 holidays provided under the Delta calendar.
• You will be able to review the many benefit options and programs available to help you make the best coverage decisions for you and your family for 2011.
October 20 through November 18, 2010
• You will be able to elect new benefit coverages which will be effective January 1st, 2011.
Simulator Technician transition plan
September 27, 2010
Page 2
January 1, 2011
• You will transition to the Delta Vacation Program on January 1st, 2011. Any outstanding vacation banks as January 1, 2011 will be available for use until March 31st, 2015. As you transition to the Delta policy, you will not lose your current vacation balance or go a year without vacation time.
• Any unused sick time will be converted to Delta’s Certified Time program for your use when you are ill in the future. You will also begin accruing Paid Personal Time (PPT) weekly.
Delta leaders will meet with MTC simulator technicians and support specialists on September 28th or 29th to provide a detailed overview of how you will transition to the Delta benefits. In these meetings you will receive a personalized statement outlining your benefits transition and any important actions required by you.
We are pleased that our combined simulator technician workgroup will have a direct relationship with Delta leaders, which we believe is one of the most important aspects of our unique culture. It has always been Delta’s practice to treat our people fairly and consistently. We take our responsibility to do right by our people very seriously and we’ll continue to do everything we can to make Delta a great place to work
Robert Heilmann | HR Manager
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September 28, 2010
Delta simulator technicians are learning how their pay and benefits will be aligned now that representation has been fully resolved for that workgroup, as was done with other groups when representation was resolved.
As part of the transition plan to align pay and benefits, premerger Northwest simulator technicians’ pay scales will increase to Delta noncontract levels. The technicians also will participate in Delta’s profit sharing plan for the full 2010 calendar year and in Delta’s Shared Rewards program, effective Friday.
“We are pleased that our combined simulator technician workgroup will have a direct relationship with Delta leaders, which we believe is one of the most important aspects of our unique culture,” said Steve Dickson, s.v.p.-Flight Operations. “It has always been Delta’s practice to treat our people fairly and consistently. We take our responsibility to do right by our people very seriously and we’ll continue to do everything we can to make Delta a great place to work.”
The transition to Delta’s other benefits programs – including active and retiree medical, vacation, Paid Personal Time and Certified Time as well as disability, life and accident insurances – will occur on Jan. 1. In addition, those eligible to retire under the premerger Northwest subsidized retiree medical program will have time to decide whether to do so. Delta will also expand the pool of those eligible to consider this subsidy so that more individuals who were close to eligibility will have an opportunity to consider this benefit between now and the end of the year.
No changes will occur to the frozen defined benefit pension plan and no Social Security offset will be applied to that premerger Northwest plan.
Please link here for the actual memo sent to them.
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2269440/simulatorspayincrease-pdf-september-28-2010-4-26-pm-56k?da=y
Sincerely,
Jose Arturo Ibarra
