There is one huge difference between the US Airways and the Delta merger arbitration - the Delta one used the full and correct lists. The US Airways arbitration used a partial list created after well over a year of delay tactics by AWA pilots to push the actual arbitration into the future as far as possible. During this lengthy delay US Airways parked over 60 aircraft in order to make the merger happen, and furloughed hundreds of their pilots.
Boeing Driver,
Either you have not been paying attention or you have been listening to rumors. Let me try and correct the boat load of incorrect statements.
First a partial list? Did MAINLINE pilots get left off. Do not go into CEL, wholly owned, MDA, secret lists or such nonsense. It was the east MEC/MC that certified the list if you have a problem file a law suit.
Next it was not the west that delayed the arbitration. Once again look to your own MEC/MC. They were the ones that selected Nicolau and the west agreed. It was Nicolau that was unavailable for a length of time. Nothing to do with the west delaying anything.
The west pilots had zero to do with a management decision to park airplanes. Check the time line. During the time that we were waiting for the arbitrator most of the furloughs were offered recall. Just to make it clear. The reason that planes were parked and furloughs happened BEFORE the merger it was so US Airways could make it to the merger. Watch the crew news from PHX. Merger and integration heading near the end of that segment.
“one month that was how much time we had. US Airways had before they had to liquidate… We did not have a year we had a month.â€
This HUGELY benefited AWA pilots. If the NIC award was applied to the true and correct list we I do not believe that we would be in the mess we are.
How exactly did this delay benefit the west? At the time of the merger the east knew you were going under. Most of you were happy to have a job and would have settled for about anything. During that delay furloughs were recalled new flying was announced and two years of profitability. At that point you all had forgotten where you were and now felt in a much stronger position to demand much more.
Just how would a “correct list†change anything? It would still be relative seniority not DOH. You need to explain that comment.
But AWA pilots saw "a prize" and went for it. Unfortunate, to say the least.3
And the east saw a prize by using the majority to elect USAPA. Never forget. The west did not built and impose the list. That was done by an outside neutral. No prize we all lost relative seniority.
As it is there is no end in sight - and no matter which way the lawsuit in PHX comes out there is going to be years of this mess. The US Airways pilots are not just going to give up, and now with their newly bolstered sense of entitlement from a home town judge neither are the AWA pilots.
Boeing Driver
The end is in sight. Sometime in the middle of February a federal judge is going to drop the gavel on the mess and put it to rest. If you are talking about the animosity that will be around I agree. The east pilots will not have to give up. A judge is going end this disagreement soon. When that happens there may be other things to argue about but seniority will not be one of them.
“A home town judge†I find that an interesting statement. Are you accusing a federal judge of bias? Any proof, evidence? It does not matter where this case is heard the facts are the same. This arbitration was done in Washington DC. Your backyard. The RICO suit was filed and dismissed with prejudice in CLT. USAPA’s backyard. The DAL/NWA arbitration was done in DC and LAX. Nobodies backyard. All of these case were decided against USAPA and the east idea of fair. Lean on what ever reason you need but the facts are the facts.