USAPA in wikipedia, written by DISGRUNTLED AWA pilot. HOW THE WEST PILOTS believe the theft of seniority is justified by Arbitration is the new "wave" of the ultimate destruction of labor unity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airline_Pilots_Association
"The US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) desires to be the collective bargaining agent for US Airways east pilots that was established in late 2007. Disgruntled US Airways east pilots will attempt to replace the Air Line Pilot's Association and force their will on the former America West pilots in a long shot representational election and form an in-house union. Pilots of the formerly bankrupt carrier that was close to liquidation US Airways east protested the results of a three member arbitration panel's final and binding decision, the rules of which were agreed to by both parties ahead of time. The East pilot's contend that the award was unfair because it didn't meet their overblown sense of entitlement and importance. The launch date for this organization is set for early 2008 only if a representation election is successful, which will then be followed by years of contentious litigation. This organization is truly a hail mary for a small, disgruntled group of people whose presence in the industry is a black eye to the entire piloting profession."
The classical battle of YOUTH over AGE is now taking place. The lament of "overblown sense of entitlement and importance" is EXACTLY THE LAMENT OF THE YOUTH TODAY (youth, in the sense used here, is strictly construed to mean "younger" in relation to "older" and does not imply junvenile or childlike. It relates ONLY to those entering or already entered in the workforce as ADULTS about age 21 or older).
It starts at the bottom of the labor union level (and the corporate world as well) and will, in future years, work its way through government as younger workers entering the workforce will be required to work harder and taxed greater, for less compensation, to maintain the government retirement schedules required by social security, labor unions and government personel as the "baby boomer" movement into retirement places strains and demands on the system to cause catastrophic failure.
The Federal debt is now approaching 10 TRILLION dollars as "capital" in US Dollars comes back into the US by foreign debt holders thereby capturing the US interests in property and forcing the US worker into wage slaves. The first Entreprenual system such as that which the US was founded on is destroyed by an "income" tax system so disparate that defys logic. This tax system is the very reason for the demise of entrepreneural society and has fueled the growth into the classic battle of the diminishing returns of the American worker. Like too many rats fighting over too few scraps of food, the American worker is being pitted against itself like NO OTHER TIME in the history of management/labor relations.
The combination of DAL/NWA and CAL/UAL poses the GREATEST RISKS EVER into the security of our Transporation industry as this demographic and CLASSIC opposition of forces.....AGE versus YOUTH, seeks to play itself out. The evolution of Capitalism over the formation of Entrepreneral interactions in the USA are about to be strained like no other period in human endeavor. As the Federal reserve lowers interest rates to stave off recession, the flow of currency into the markets this year, combined with merger combinations and a continued war in Iraq will result in the devaluation of the US dollar and will seek all time lows in relation to the foreign currencies. Commodities prices will spike in the near term as the dollar looses international value.
The Statistical seniority models in the pilot labor union arena...if the following US Airways Seniority list data between East and West is compared as follows as an indicator:
01 Jan 07 Seniority List
Comparison | US Airways | | AWA
Total Pilots | 4693 | 2864 diff | 1829
Mean Age | 52- 08/11/1956 | 5 yr. diff | 47-08/04/1961
Mean DOH | 02/02/1987 | 10 yr. diff | 05/27/1997
Mean Years of Service| 18.3 | 10.6 yr. diff | 7.7
The comparative size of Deltas 6,300 younger pilots in relation to NWA 4,800 older pilots sets up the CLASSIC reversal of give and take that will "whipsaw" pilot industry consolidation.
Continental with 4,100 pilots and United with 6,400 serves to "whipsaw" with similar issues.
The ultimate "answer" will be what the MAJORITY will find an acceptable solution. If the group size of those who find the solution to this answer is "unacceptable", unfair or unreasonable, labor strife in the industry is all but assured. NO arbitrative solution can mollify the affected group and the ultimate weapon of union force...strike....serves only to further the economic interests of the other labor groups and disadvantagely affecting the striking group's economic strength.
So what is the answer for labor? Take what you can and give nothing back.
It's every man for himself. To be in the transportation industry now, unionism is facing it's most tenuous position ever.
Anyone here vote for Prater as president?...How about the Great Pension Giveaway?..etc/ad nauseum...words fail to do that "democratic process" joke line full credit....I've gotta' hand it to them for self control though = someone probably typed that while keeping a straight face 
