A point of clarification:
1. At the time of the 2009 Agreement, that was true that the 29 stations would be covered. My hub would have been covered. The issue that hurt many people was the Cross-Utilized stations that could have been covered. All the 2009 Agreement had to do was cover IAH and it would have worked. Why wasn't that agreement used as a baseline for the talks? And forced those Cross members to go from either PCE or RSE. (When the buyouts happened, those members chose the PCE, and met that tiered payout, and not the ramp)
2. As far as the so called "morons" who were too "stupid" not to get an agreement.
We took a big risk becoming union. WE also knew that a merger was coming up. After failed drive after drive, the cuts in 2008 was the case that put us over the top. Problem was it was the IBT and not the IAM. To this day, I personally have a bone to pick with the IAM, because if they would have focused some, (and I do me SOME) effort not a lot but some, they could have won an EASY election. We were ready, and the pieces were in place to win. People were on the ground and the Union cause was finally able to take hold. I personally knew some people who was talking to the IAM and efforts was made to put a drive together. Problem was that the IAM can't multitask. At that time, they was trying to organize Delta,(which in my opinion is nearly impossible - sorry KEV.) AND deal with a Boeing strike. Bottom line was it was there for the taking and minimal resources could have been put in. When Delaney and Bartz came to EWR during a roadshow, and were talking to members and handing out paraphernalia, I personally asked both of them that question. Delaney said that they had "other things" they were working on. (ie: DL) Of course I wasn't satisfied with my answere but did not get a chance to follow up, since people was asking questions. So they ignored us and the IBT swooped in since they had the mechanics. So a hastily patched contract (mainly the FTW Handbook) was put together and once someone filed for single carrier, a better deal could be made, whoever won the election. All of this could have been solved if we on the sCO ramp side could have been IAM members from the start. Another problem was the Passenger Service agents upstairs. They were strongly anti-union, since the company treated them better. The threat of outsourcing didn't affect them as much. So I guess to get those members, they had a nasty election and the the IAM prevailed, so that may have put some pressure on the negotiations as well. I don't know how much, but the "give and take" of the negotiations seems one-sided to me. What besides Cargo was given up to start the baseline at FTW instead of the 09 Agreement? That in affect was and is the downfall in itself. That's a concession filled agreement, and you take that away? I guess it was the dollar amount that the company offered???
There is a lot more to this than some people know.