With the perception, regardless of it's accuracy, firmly planted in the minds of UAL pilots that they have to vote "yes", or risk the protections of the TPA expiring, CAL-MEC could have asked for anything and Hepner and crew would have to at least consider agreeing.

Since the company is slowly moving to replace brain bags with iPads, there was no long term value in asking for an agreement where a UAL pilot would be assigned to carry each CAL pilot's bag. A seniority roll over seemed like the next piece of low hanging fruit given UAL's propensity to eat their own young with or without ALPA's sanctioning...