I actually believe they are united (no pun intended) on both sides for getting a great contract. The combined operation will be a powerhouse for sure. There will be a lot of friction regarding the SLI though. How can one side that was just about to start hiring off the street merge with a side with well over 1000 on furlough when recent arbitration says furloughees go to the bottom period?

I don't see CAL offering to put furloughed UAL pilots above their active pilots yet I don't see UAL letting guys hired back in 2000-2001 be stapled to fairly recent new hires. Additionally everyone says that the CAL new hires from UAL are just place holders and won't change anything, but that could end up being a bigger can of worms than people want to think about right now.

Aside from the SLI issue, I think the two groups are probably very symbiotic and united. I just hope they hold the line on scope (50 seats and under for jets) and maybe reduce the number of larger turbo props. That, more than pay tables or anything else will be the biggest foundational support for pattern bargaining on the DL side of things.