Originally Posted by
Uniform Shop
Just a little history to back up your theory. The "B-scale" gave management at other airlines leverage for pilot concessions.
If he wanted to use history as a guide then here you go.
On
May 17,
1985 United's pilots went on a 29-day strike claiming the CEO, Richard Ferris, was trying to "break the unions." They used management's proposed "B-scale" pilot pay rates as proof.
American Airlines already had a B-scale for its pilots. Ferris insisted United had to have pilot costs no higher than American's, so he offered United pilots a "word-for-word" contract to match American's, or the same bottom line numbers. The United ALPA-MEC rejected that offer because it meant they would not get their deferred pay raise. The only choice left, to achieve parity with American's pilot costs, was to begin a B-scale for United's new-hire pilots. Ferris wanted that B-scale to merge in the captain's ranks, which was more generous than American's B-scale, which never merged at all. In the final hours before the strike, nearly all issues had been resolved, except for the time length of the B-scale. It appeared that would be resolved too as negotiations continued. ALPA negotiators delivered a new counter-proposal at 12:20 A.M. in an effort to avoid the strike. However, MEC Chairman Roger Hall, who was hosting a national teleconference with F. Lee Bailey, declared the strike was on at 12:01 A.M., on May 17, without consulting the negotiators, who believed they were about to agree on all contract terms with United's management negotiators
Not quite what happened. David Pringle, UAL’s chief negotiator, offered the American agreement literally, and I mean literally, on the back of a paper napkin – take it or leave it was his stance.
Anyone who even has a little bit of knowledge about negotiations knows that is NOT the way an agreement is reached. It was NEVER, I repeat NEVER a serious offer on their part.
If it was a serious offer, it would have led to further NEGOTIATIONS, but it was given on a take it or leave it basis. So what would happen if our negotiating team said yes? Well, in case you’ve never been to pilot contract negotiations, if we had accepted this ludicrous offer, the company would have “interpreted” it to their wishes – remember, their offer was “take it or leave it”.
It was one of the most juvenile and non-serious negotiating tactic I’ve ever heard about. It was NOT a serious offer, however had the UAL-MEC accepted the offer, the company would have interpreted everything to their advantage, especially a permanent B-scale.
About 3-4 hours before midnight I got a call from a friend on the negotiating committee. (They were negotiating in Boston, and we were in Chicago). His statement to me was that they (the company) wanted a strike, and that we either capitulated or we walked. Again, no serious negotiations on their part.
I was there that night, as a member of the UAL-MEC. And while I was scared and I’m certain we could have done things better, to this day, I can tell you we were either going to roll over or stand tall.
While many will state that Ferris was willing to "merge" the A & B scales when a pilot made Captain, it's important to note that it was taking almost 20 years to make the left seat back then.
The ONLY thing remaining on the table when we walked was the issue of the b-scale. UAL wanted what the American pilots had ALREADY given their company, an agreement with a PERMANENT b-scale.
To this day, I have NO RESPECT for those American pilots and the APA during that period. NONE what so ever.