Definitely not my first "Rodeo", and I wanted to strike in 2003 when UAL-ALPA ran scared from the bankruptcy judge which APA has shown was unnecessary, but today I am most concerned about the UAL/CAL ALPA merger. I think the interests of these two groups are at polar opposites and if this contract goes back to management I believe absolutely 100% that the CAL side will shoot down any future agreement and we will end up with a USAir tragedy of epic proportions and ruin the careers of the entire L-UAL pilot group. Step one will be the retirement of the 757 fleet forcing massive layoffs at L-UAL and step two will be placing all new NB jet orders at L-CAL. L-UAL will become a much smaller widebody only company with no growth and no contract. We need to complete the SLI to align the pilot group interests and THEN fight for a better future. Is this contract "Good". No. Is this contract enough to make it another 5 years before I'm willing to go on strike? Yes.

I believe strongly the fight here is with CAL-ALPA right now and NOT management. They put in pay banding comparing a 767 to a 747 while separating a 757-200 from a 757-300, they put in LOA 25, and they (CAL-ALPA) have said publicly they can live with no contract indefinitely because life's pretty good in their eyes with lots of movement and shiny new planes on their side. I'm closing my eyes and pinching my nose and voting yes to the TA, but I'm gonna expect big things in 2017-2019. Nothing in life good comes fast and sadly the political reality of this bargaining process has seriously handicapped the L-UAL pilot group.

Joe Peck
IADFO