Originally Posted by
TonyC
Ah, gotcha. I think you left out the word "turned" or something like that. You're saying the MEC turned down a deal that we never got back.
Yeah, the MEC wanted a seperate pay rate for the B-777, something short of A-380, but more than "Widebody." I think it's ridiculous that the A310 pays the same as the B-777, don't you?
Anyway, the proposals discussed were based on a system of overrides which would be based on triggers that The Company could control and manipulate. The overrides were conditional, and nobody could affect the conditions except The Company. Does that sound familiar? International Grid ring a bell? Reviews were mixed.
Add to that problem the fact that the VP of Flight Ops sent us that famous New Year's Eve FCIF announcing the implementation of 4.A.2.b. -- negotiations became very difficult, and the ratification environment (which would have been required for an LOA) became quite hostile.
As for the 26.K. arbitration for the B-777 pay rate, the biggest problem we faced was the mess left behind by FPA's attempt to label the MD-10 as something other than a Widebody. It started out as a DC-10, which was a Widebody, and they made it "like" an MD-11, which is a widebody, and yet some genius spent our dues money arguing that it wasn't a widebody. The arguments they used then proved to be an impediment to our case to argue that the B-777 was something more than a widebody.
So, to answer your question about how I feel ... I feel fine about what we did.
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The big motza ball in the room was the fact that the WB/NB pay structure existed and we had operated the B747 as a WB and the B777 was below that GW not the fact that we stupidly attempted to get more money for the MD10 than the MD11, that was just another poor decision wasting Union funds.
The big picture is ALPA's lack of SA, and I am very happy that you are fine with your actions as an MEC rep as it is better (easier) to have fought the good fight than conduct a true risk analysis and lead, no matter if the right course is less than you think we deserve. It is about what you can actually negotiate and how current language helps or hurts us. right? Nah that's crazy talk.