Originally Posted by gloopy

Exactly. Which really calls into question the wisdom of negotiating negatives for gains elsewhere in an already significantly concessionary book. If the gains can vaporize but the negatives will stay and even be added to, are we really starting from a stronger position if/when things get bad?

Typically the hardest things to get back ever, even in good times, are work rules and scope. We are giving up 100Klbs jets to non union, won't hire DL pilots on furlough DPJ (for no reason and for no gain...we JUST won the grievance over that!) so those will be gone forever. If "its only 5" is OK during record profits, in a concessionary environment then another 5 or 20 must also be OK too, right? The 325 large RJ's will always be more than 255. While they will never even want a max all coach 90 seats in them, if we're really giving them even more jets that would be more efficient and profitable configed to 78, 80 or 82, and they have 223 of them already, imagine how hard it will be to keep that in a heavy concessionary environment. Parking 50's by allowing more 90's absolutely makes DCI leaner, meaner and much more viable.

Typically artificial restrictions on allowable outsourcing are among the first things to go in concessionary bargaining. One of the strengths of the TA is "closing the republic loophole" [except for republic?!?!?!] which theoretically does have some good value in it. Take for example egotistical SkyWest, who 100% will try to play with the big boys eventually one day, and there are some rumblings that day will be sooner than many would like to admit. The TA fixes that, right?

But how do we enforce it? Maybe in record profits we could force the company to eat contracts like that (not that we would, right?) but what about under heavy concessionary pressure? Are we really going to pursue, much less win, that grievance? If we do win, like DPJ, won't we just gift it right back to them to show how constructive we are or to get a "bargaining credit" to apply to reduce concessions elsewhere?

You're absolutely right, we don't know what's around the corner in this industry, and it could be really bad. That's exactly why giving up significant things which will be gone forever to get the level of gains in the TA that would be rolled back the instant a true crisis hits is being called into question.