I'm still baffled by supposedly rational people who now proudly like to shout "NIC IS DEAD". The validity of the Nicolau award was not on trial, USAPA's behavior was. The 9th Circuit did not greenlight the evisceration of arbitration as a means of settling disputes, it merely said it couldn't see the damage done in proposing one seniority integration method over another. Now, when they actually breach their responsibility to present the Nicolau award by including it in any CBA offered for ratification, then the court will step in with an injunction prohibiting them implementing it, even if it is voted in by a majority.
The courts will not allow USAPA to be the beginning of the end of arbitrations. But delay is the prize here and I wouldn't be surprised to see USAPA under intense legal scrutiny of their actions and their accountability. The frat party that has been USAPA the past 2 years is probably going to be alot different going forward.
No, they won't. But I think you need to read the decision AGAIN.
I'll quote:
"Although it is common for a merger to raise the issue of
integrating seniority lists, this case contains an added wrinkle.
The East Pilots, who were dissatisfied with the seniority integration
proposal ALPA arrived at through the union’s internal
arbitration, led a successful effort to decertify ALPA and
replace it with a new union, US Airline Pilots Association
(“USAPA”). Headed by an East Pilot,
USAPA was constitutionally
committed to pursuing date-of-hire principles, in contrast
to ALPA, whose merger policy committed it to pursuing
the arbitrated seniority list."
Read this passage carefully. ALPA arbitration is NOT arbitration, is is POLICY!! A rose by any other name. Jacobs tried to infer the FAA in oral argument. That fell on deaf ears, because the FAA doesn't apply to RLA unions. The NMB company/union arbitrations are LEGALLY enforcable arbitrations.
This case is not about arbitrations, it's about a VOTE and the MAJORITY understood that. Bybee had no solution but voting stalemate, future litigation for years to come and quite possibly bankruptcy for the labor unions. The MAJORITY saw it for what it was.
As far as En Banc, chances are slim to nil. I'm make NO predition other than that. Read the FRAP here if you want, it explains the circumstances for En Banc review.
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/uploads/rules/rules.htm#1109234