Your post accurately reflects your, and apparently the wests total ignorance about the feeling and resolve from the east pilots. I am around number 50 on BOTH lists and would never vote yes on a contract that included the nic list. REGARDLESS of the hourly rate. That doesn't make one an idiot. It makes one principled for standing up for the profession and the seniority that each and every pilot, ON BOTH SIDES, has earned and has a right to. Like when you bid your blocks, vacation, vacancies etc.... You know, seniority. The thing that our entire careers are based on.
This stopped being about money long ago for the east pilots. If you west folks can't figure out anything else try to understand this:
The east gave up billions in pay and pension to keep an airline alive. We incorrectly assumed an arbitrator would follow ALL of the merger policy. When he didn't (you can argue forever about that) the straw broke the camels back. If you think the east does not have the resolve to do everything possible to save our seniority you are way off base. When I say everything possible I truly mean it. Whatever it takes.
I don't expect most of you west folks to get it. You can't seem to comprehend the sheer lunacy of a 4 year guy being senior to a 20 year guy who has never been furloughed. So be it. And as for our hard line on DOH during negotiations, you don't seem to understand negotiations either. Not one pilot on the east list fully expected a DOH list without conditions and restrictions. You say there is nothing in the merger policy about date of hire. You are correct. There is also nothing in that policy about slotting or ratios. Oh, by the way, the first 500 folks went date of hire and the rest were slotted. Guess old nic read something into the policy that wasn't there.
Nothing is going to be solved on these boards. But the west needs to comprehend the total and complete mindset of the east. We gave up billions through 2 Chapter 11's. We stared down liquidation and Lakefield would have merged us with someone else if not AWA. There was not going to be a liquidation or it would have happened long before AWA became involved. We draw the line at seniority.
And if you guys can't figure out the importance of seniority and what it means to the east, and to all airline pilots, then you haven't got a clue. But, since you want the nic list implemented so badly, I guess you must know what seniority is. You just don't think the east should have it.
pilot
"a 2 yr throwing a tantrum" perfectly sums up the entire AWA ST Nic position
