Originally Posted by
EWR73FO
It has, to an extent. And yes, if most could, we would not fly the new aircraft. The problem is that the new aircraft are replacing the aircraft we are parking on a one-for-one basis. The same is true for the 787. We will finish parking all 767-200's sometime in 2013.
Our point is we understand and do see the transfer of assets possibly going to happen at LUAL. We have also seen this new aircraft order for a TA BS in the past also. It didn't end very well. Here, sign C02 and you can fly a shinny new 787.
A large number of us watched the CA seats we waited 9+ years for, disappear with age 65 as well as having Abbot tell us why he was slashing EWR flying and cutting even more CA seats to make it better for "commuters".
We just don't want the LUAL pilots to bite on a substandard TA in the hopes of eliminating said transfer. How disappointed do you we will ALL be if this TA is voted in and the SLI takes 18 months and the transfer happens anyway? Mgmt is gonna do what mgmt wants to do. All we can do is not bite on the division they have created so far.
Thanks for the perspective. It's good to hear the thoughts and concerns of both sides.
I should have been more clear... the airplanes in question are the 150 that are coming in August and beyond to directly replace the L-UAL 757's, not the ones that you folks have coming now. What I see as different from the scenario you pose above is that in this case the new aircraft order wasn't generated to "sell" the TA. It has already occurred, and has been announced as all replacement airplanes. I think I can speak for all of us and say that nobody is happy about flying a 737-900 vs. a 757. Well, maybe a few.... I don't see that as a carrot dangling in front of us.
Personally, I am voting YES for this TA because I think in this economic, political, and global environment, it's a good TA. It may not be sexy with full retro and DAL payrates right away, but the overall value of the TA to me is very high. Stuff like 5/Day and Leg by Leg pay are HUGE wins. The more I read about it, and the rationale from the JNC of WHY they structured it the way it was structured, the better it looks to me. Yes there is definitely a risk for the L-UAL pilots to voting "no" with the TPA, but it goes beyond that for me.
I was under the impression that the SLI was mandated to take 180 days or less? I guess we could pull a USAirways East and pull out of the union if we don't like the arbitration, but I haven't talked to ONE pilot at UAL that wants that to happen... on either side. I look at DAL firing on all cylinders, and think the faster we can get on board with each other, the better.