Originally Posted by
slowplay
This is the kind of stuff that leaves me scratching my head. What opportunity was passed up? You realize the company doesn't have to have us on board to acquire, merge or fragment, right?
Show me an example where your version of leverage worked...
Southwest and AirTran?
United and Continental? Their situation is almost completely analogous AND they were in Section 6 (CAL) when it happened.
America West and USAirways?
They ALL are exactly where they started. Where's the leverage of which you speak? Go back even farther in history, and the first time labor even heard about the deals was when they were publicly announced. Delta/Western is an example.
Management has workarounds. They don't get all the revenue and cost "synergies" by running two separate operations, but they get a boatload of labor savings. Even a profitable company like SWA only gave away the acquired airline's seniority...no cash. UAL/CAL would take over $350 million and 400 pilot jobs just to come up to the current DAL contract. In the UAL/CAL case management is learning to work around. In USAPA's case that's the only reason their company is profitable.
So again I ask, where was the leverage that we squandered?
Slow, I wouldn't say squandered. But I think by the time the JCBA was worked out it was already apparent that our Section 1 had huge holes. If there was a chance to make changes, any changes, I think some of these holes should have been tightened up.
I haven't been here that long, so I don't know if the relationship with mgt was more of a "gentleman's agreement" in the past. But from everything I've seen since getting here, our current mgt will take full advantage of any clause that is not fully thought out, including violating the spirit of the agreement on legal semantics. If that's to be the case, we need to "lawyer up" and stay one step ahead of the next loophole they will find. And every opportunity we have for an amended contract should close some of the loopholes.
It feels like we've been in a friendly touch football game, except now the other team has begun tackling. If we keep on using only our "constructive engagement" policy, they will continue to run over us, all the while telling us what good pilots we are and thanking us for all we do to make the operation a success. Bless their little old hearts.
I'm no expert - that's just how I see it.