I stopped reading when I read this:
" I spoke one on one with our Negotiating Committee Chairman Captain Dave Owens for 45 minutes several weeks ago, and he provided me great details on the progress made to that point. I was frankly amazed at how far management has moved to improve scheduling work rules beyond what any Continental pilot has ever experienced, at least since 1983 and before. The slave labor days of no contract, C'95, C'97 and C'02 will finally come to a close."
This sounds like a management briefing, not a Union blast mail. How can anyone be astonished at management moving towards our BANKRUPTCY work rules?!? They stink. They are not a holy grail, yet this communique sounds GRATEFUL that we are approaching them.
How can we be surprised that there has been some progress made towards UAL work rules? Heck, they've been talking about them for what, 15 months?!?! COME ON GUYS. JP's negotiating blast mail sounded like something I would expect to hear from Smisek.
So did the CAL MEC direct JP to go straight to the NMB and give them direct assurance that the CAL pilots have no interest in being released? Once again going behind every interested parties back to further his own agenda, while in the same breath decrying JH for acting in the same manner.
So congratulations to JP. He flexed his muscle, and has proven that he can completely derail any initiative that might be taken to push contract talks along. We all win, right? I'm sure you can detect my sarcasm. I'm looking forward to a continuation of happy JP updated on the SUPER negotiations. Oh wait.... I thought we started expedited negotiations in January? Phew!! We've closed a BUNCH of sections from those once a week meetings.
JP's own update proudly trots out a management commitment to try to have a deal by mid June. JH's request merely attempts to make them put their money where their mouth is.
We've been at this for YEARS. Management trots out super negotiations talk to placate the troops and get through the summer. I'm sad to see that JP buys it. I'll bet anyone here $1000 we don't have a TA by June 15th now that JH's plan has been torpedoed by JP. According to JP, management seems to think the plan he has in place is going to get us there, so let's see how confident we all feel about his leadership. Shouldn't be hard, because we now KNOW JH will be pushing to get it done.
$1000. Any takers?