On Tuesday, March 13, the Delta MEC Negotiating Committee and Delta management exchanged Section 6 openers. With Delta pilot contract negotiations now under way, every MEC committee is engaged in some fashion with the “Leading the Industry” Contract 2012 effort.

In the same way that the internal team is working together, the next step is to strengthen the single most important aspect of success in 2012—pilot unity. To that end, the Delta Pilot Network (DPN), a subcommittee of the MEC Communications Committee, is physically expanding its presence to where Delta pilots live all across the country. DPN will provide venues and opportunities to get local pilots together with Pilot Unity Building (P.U.B.) events. These events will allow DPN and ALPA leaders to share information, listen to concerns, address rumors, and receive feedback, all in a casual social setting.

P.U.B. events recently took place in Cincinnati and Seattle, and the Salt Lake City P.U.B. event takes place today. Weekly Code-a-Phones and targeted e-mails/calls will be used to announce future events.

And speaking of the DPN, a tornado ripped through the small community of Dexter, Mich., on March 15, where dozens of Delta pilots and their families reside. The tornado damaged or demolished more than 100 homes and downed trees and power lines.

The DPN quickly swung into high gear in the early morning hours of March 16 to contact affected families. The DPN outreach was executed from remote locations and reached almost 60 pilots or family members to confirm their safety and well-being and offer help. The DPN and its volunteers were able to respond quickly and efficiently after having recently completed training specific to rapid-response scenarios.