Originally Posted by
EWRflyr
Axl,
Maybe your comments were in reference to something else ewrbasedpilot stated that bothered you. If I missed that my apologies, but I do have a question.
I'm curious as to how a relative seniority integration is a "line of BS" in your view? To me it seems that this is the middle of the road view/position on SLI. It's not the extremes of either side (i.e. UAL pilots: staple the CAL guys; CAL pilots: staple the UAL pilots...we know neither is realistic and won't happen) but a more fair idea to integrate the list. Didn't DL/NW end up with something close to a relative seniority list within a few percent?
Honestly, I don't spend any time thinking about the SLI because we won't decide it, arbitrators will and I won't be on the team making the arguments. I don't even discuss it in the cockpit, but was curious since it seems to be brought up here.
First, that wasn't the only post where ewrbasedpilot shows his @ss. Second, relative seniority is no more middle of the road than DOH is middle of the road. While stapling my be the extreme (in a vacuum with spherical objects
), it's a theoretical extreme since it's even beyond the realm of impossibility. IMO, the more reasonable bounds of our arguments are relative seniority on your side vs date of hire on our side. Neither of those will happen either, but they actually lie on the bell curve! My arguments and feelings will have no impact on the final list, but I think I'm actually pretty reasonable in my expectations. Specifically, my problems with relative seniority is that it doesn't recognize the career expectations of UAL pilots, it doesn't recognize the distribution of positions within the seniority list (yes, we have more widebodies, which means more widebody fos), and it doesn't recognize the fact that our narrowbody fleet was shrunk beyond what is needed to operate a healthy airline. It is clear that a stand alone UAL was way too small in it's narrowbody lift and that would've been corrected (or NEVER DONE TO BEGIN WITH). Our seniority list, without the furloughee's) is a anomoly that was unsustainable and WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED.
So yes, ewrbasedpilot is an ass, and his attitude is not doing any of your pilot group favors. I'm a reasonable person and I recognize that he represent a minority opinion, but I also know that human nature will make his comments stick with me more than the others.
Let's just get on with this merger process. It is my sincere hope that the reasonable pilots at CAL will push the leadership to a less combative posture. Make them sign the MFR. If not, I will continue to advocate to my reps that the CAL ALPA leadership be treated with suspicion and wariness. IMO your leadership is presenting a clear and present threat to the UAL pilots and they should be treated as such. ewrbasedpilot only strenghtens my opinion and resolve. It that's what you guys want then that's the way we will continue...even though none of us will benefit.