oncea57cap

Anyone find it odd that management is suddenly so agreeable to our terms and wants to expedite the JCBA and give us a contract in record time. By doing this we are getting into a long term contract at the bottom of a business cycle, where everything including the job market looks bleak. What's the rush? Most economists agree that the second half of the year will be weak and real growth won't come until 2011 and 2012. Management is well aware of this and wants to tie us into a contract that we will have to honor. They will say, "well you guys willingly signed it" as we signed away our lives on the last two contracts. It will be easy to want to agree to a sizable pay raise, especially so soon, but in the long term it will be a slap in the face and truly disastrous. Mark my words. If this sounds crazy, history is the proof.

Monkeyfly

The union has noted this and that is why the contract duration will be shorter than usual... a la Delta.

bearcat

Most of us don't care about any of that. I leave it to the union and I am in contact with my reps all the time to express my concern. I certainly trust the LEC/MEC are not going to let a sub-standard contract get to the pilots to vote. They have backed up their words (CAL) since they were elected and have done nothing to prove otherwise.

I don't care about the timeline. I have my bottom line. If they can meet or beat my expectations by Oct, I vote yes. If not, I vote no. It is actually quite simple.

oncea57cap

I have a few new concerns, but I hope you are right. As far as a subpar contract reaching us for vote. History has proven otherwise.

bearcat

OH yeah, Don't get me wrong. I don't think there is a chance in hell this is going to be negotiated within 8 weeks from today. I simply have confidence that we will not be given a crappy contract to vote on from the JNC. According to Jay Pierce (CAL MEC), we will have a very good idea as to the path to a JCBA come Oct.

I really liked this comment from Jay.

Time will tell.

Meanwhile - go Bears!

Fritzthepilot

I agree. Why would Kathryn Mikells at UAL tell analysts last spring that there would be no TA's on union contracts this year only now to expect a TA in two months?

I also have another concern. Tilton has always wanted to pay us in stock or profit sharing. I'm hearing the pay raises might not be as much as we thought and we would be bought out in stock. (i.e. another bond debacle) Enough of the charades, give me a raise and stop the shell games.

XHooker

Totally disagree, Cap. Management wants this for a variety of reasons and our leverage right now is possibly as good as many of us will see for the rest of our careers. The industry is in an up cycle, we've got a favorable NMB, and management is under pressure to get this done soon. Don't get me wrong, they won't roll over and give us anything we don't fight for and I don't see it getting done in the next couple of months, but the time is now for a real contract.

AxlF16

I agree on the shorter than normal duration! It needs to have retro pay from the amendable date as well. One way or another (or both!) they are gonna pay us.

Lambourne

You are joking right? This is from the ALPA group that activated the Strike Preparedness committee two years before the last contract was due. That was during one of the worst economic times in our country's history. It was full speed ahead, "Glenn's Gotta Go", Fix It Now stickers and sabre rattling to get a new contract two years ago. Now that the company has a reason to get us to the table and negotiate you want to delay??? You must be a former Wallachite. There can be no other reason for your amazing ability to take something good and spin it as something bad.

ALPA leadership at UAL has hit rock bottom. The pilot group is so disenfranchised with ALPA that we have lost good people working at the council and MEC levels. No one but the power hungry and demented are interested in "serving" the pilots anymore.

Of course this is what you get when the Gallud's, Whitefords, and Glawe's of the world wrap themselves in the ALPA flag only to stab the pilot group and the union in the back.

Don't forget to "Fix It Now"

L

Captain Bligh

Here here!