Originally Posted by
LeeFXDWG
Learn to look from a different perspective. While I wish it wasn't true, ALPA has always been reactionary and never visionary with regards to mgmts actions.
They look at the "cost" you describe as a potential gain when you agree to something less come contract time. A net gain that runs 5 years probably plus the standard RLA 2 years, or greater negotiation. They won many times over. But "we" showed them, right?
I warned you all that perceived leverage regarding the JCBA was not there and the mgmt will be more than ready to accept the divided airline until the combination met their terms. You all just don't listen.
I hope the best but have history and reality to temper that hope. Thusfar, mgmt has been 2 steps ahead in this process. Time to hire real professionals, not ALPA endorsed professionals, to bring this to culmination.
My 2 cents.
Frats,
Lee
Lee, I always enjoy reading your insights.
I'll respectfully rebut your view of how current management looks at training costs.
The current UCH management is a different animal than the management under Tilton. UCH is almost exclusively CAL management and they are much more cost conscious than UAL management was. To that end, I think that they will exercise a training solution between the two subsidiaries that minimizes training costs.
The way to minimize training costs is to:
1) hold the LUAL pilot pool static; no furloughs and no recalls. They're currently overmanned on the LUAL side of the house so they don't even need to decrease block hours once age 65 retirements start to kick in.
2) keep all hiring/furloughing restricted to the LCAL side. (LCAL furlough protections only apply to those on property on the date of the merger). With mandatory age 65 retirements starting this fall, I don't think that furloughs are likely but it is an available option for them. Since all new aircraft are going to the LCAL subsidiary, it only makes sense to run all newhire training at the LCAL subsidiary.
When we were operating under C2K, UAL was hemmoraghing. UCH is currently printing money and has to date found a workable solution to maximize profits with two separate subsidiaries.
UCH will eventually sign a JCBA but only when it makes financial sense to do so. They're not going to lock themselves into a contract that will bankrupt the company. At this point, I don't see a JCBA any time soon but I also don't see UCH operating as two companies indefinitely.