Besides reneging on a mutually agreed to arbitration process, the 7 year delay in obtaining a joint CBA has prevented West pilots from realizing their share of E190 flying, B757 flying and their share of any additional widebody flying created as a result of the AW/US merger.
I believe USAirways has taken delivery of 12 additional A330's since the merger, with more on order including A350 deliveries. Airplanes that would never have been on the property absent the merger. West pilots have every right to a share of that additional widebody flying. You seem to forget there WAS a merger.
Several pilots have posited that APA will be delighted to negotiate an integrated seniority list with USAPA. I disagree and believe this will play out in arbitration several years down the road. As in McCaskill-Bond. There simply no way the AA pilots will allow a 25 year seniority East pilot F/O to be merged DOH with a 25 year seniority AA Widebody Captain. No condition or restriction could be crafted to mitigate that disparity. The AA/US ISL will go much like UA/CO, DL/NW. Sorry. No DOH in 2007 and no DOH now.
At least while the continuing drama "As The Turbine Turns" plays out, East and West are finally getting long overdue raises. However, along with that comes a change in contractual language in many areas, many not as good as what we have lived under for much of our careers at USAirways or America West. Lots "TBD" going forward.
Unfortunately, and as is highlighted yet again by the latest USAPA infighting, we will never present a unified front in any negotiation and thus will never have a real lever or hammer to wield against management or the APA. I too will welcome APA as my bargaining agent and look forward to becoming an American Airlines pilot.
