PRS Guitars

This^^^. And it's why APA should not have started this committee. Starting this committee almost concedes this position, as if the APA is ok with an SLI. Their position should be WO's will be stapled, period dot, we don't need a committee. This pretty clearly is part of Ed's anti ALPA campaign and it could bite him. I just hope the BOD doesn't fund it.

Margaritaville

US Air and America West was comparing apples to oranges. AA to the WO regionals is comparing grapefruit to kumquats.

FXLAX

Well, the rhetoric comes from individuals, not the policy. There will always be rhetoric regardless. Some just call that posturing. I probably woulve said it differently, there is nothing wrong, actaully expected, that the mec will protect their constituents' rights in any venue. But yeah, I agree that it can set unrealistic expectations if they actually said something like that.

As for the conflict of interest in alpa alpa merger, alpa national is completely out of it. Each mec hires independently their own law firm to advocate for their position. Alpa national provides no funding to either side. In essence (and reality) each mec acts as their independent union and use the policy structure provided by national.

Probaly true. I wasn't passing any judgement. I was just trying to give my two cents from an outsiders point of view.

The alpa merger policy changed since then, because of that. The new policy requires 3 arbitrators so you mitigate the possibility of having a rogue arbitrator. It also requires them to take into consideration at least: longevity, status & category, and career expectations. Under mackaskill bond, there is no requirement for three arbitrators and the only thing the arbitrator is required to consider is that the final list is fair and equitable. There is a lot more room for interpretation under mckaskill bond.

TransWorld

Don't forget TWA. It was why Mccaskill-Bond statute was passed.

Dunkin

The company, APA, and the WO ALPAs all know that a merger will not occur unless it's a staple. AA can go to the WOs and say take the deal or we will slowly shrink you over time while transfering aircraft to other carriers. The pilot shortage will not last forever.

rdneckpilot

yeah. No FNG way I would trust alpa to represent me in a merger with the WO pilots.

OpieTaylor

Yea it will be a staple, there is no way they will try to merge contracts or negotiate a JCBA. The WO don’t even have one list, so they aren’t united and no one is looking for a 4 way merger. A voluntary DOH staple actually solves two problems.

The WO will vote for staple and APA contract or they won’t be merged.

An APA merger committee could be because it’s likely WO ALPA would have to be voted out formally.

If enough APA pilots were to vote for Alpa on the vote to dissolve WO ALPA then APA would concede to ALPA instead of WO ALPA conceding their assets to APA.

I doubt the WO bargaining agent can just be dissolved because APA is larger without a having a vote. I doubt the APA merger committee is about seniority, and believe it is about how to merge union assets, or how to handle the WO MEC authority from a legal perspective.

People will still be unhappy if the WO keep longevity for vacation and pay steps even with a staple, which is likely what ALPA meant by saying they will make sure AA values your contribution.

FXLAX

This is the SWA/AirTran model. SWA and SWAPA strong armed AirTran ALPA to capitulate rather than keep fighting. Or something to that effect. Probably the more likely scenrio, espeically if AA managment values pilot labor peace.

This would be the same as saying you don't trust the people on your board/mec to represent you in a merger. ALPA only provides the merger policy. The mec provides their own funding and attorneys, and strategy, etc. This is why there is ususally a merger fund started, becuase ALPA will not provide a cent.

GrossNavError

It looks like this may actually be happening and not just a rumor. Apparently this has been talked about for months.

Name User

When you merge RJ's to mainline, all the employees come over. Labor costs 2x to 3x for above/below the wing, dispatchers, schedulers, pilots and FAs, meachanics, the list goes on. Also now that flights are all "mainline" union contracts are triggered and stations go from Envoy/PDT staffing to mainline overnight.