Originally Posted by
Really
No Kidding Lax!! I don't understand what you wanted our committee to do for US(CAL)! Should they have said "how lucky we are to get all this wide body flying?" Thats not there job!! I would have been disappointed if they didn't paint the type of flying we did in the best light!! (Just like your comm. did for you guys(UAL)) You are right, when you say the wide body flying goes more senior at Cal than the narrow body. However, I don't think it's anywhere close to the seniority gap that it is at UAL.(Just guessing, not trying to state fact!) There is a HUGE cultural difference between cal and ual in reference to wide-body to narrow-body flying!! I've been told by at least 5 different ual pilots that it's like flying at 2 different airlines. (wide-body airline and narrow body airline) Nothing wrong with that it's just different than what cal pilots have experienced over the yrs. We used to go by longevity pay just like ups until contract 97'. So, many of the senior pilots did fly smaller planes to get better schedule.(Our flying culture) That culture is still there to some extent. I honestly can tell you I am going to stay on the 737 for many yrs for reasons that fit ME!! I don't expect you or anyone else to understand why. But, I think more cal guys would understand than ual guys and neither side is right or wrong just different!! I believe ual's sli comm. along with ual pilots harp on heavy flying since it is a "perk" pay and prestige wise! ( I think that's a SMART strategy and would be disappointed if my Comm. didn't use it!!) You're mixing apples/oranges here. p.s.- I could have held 767 on last few bids and 2 guys that live in my neighborhood would be top 15 777 capts at cal. Both are very senior 737 capts!! (1 is about to retire!!
) None of us are interested in that type flying!! (Just our opinions!)
L-UAL pilots have no choice but to build up the "wide body" fallacy because they gave up all of their 737 when they voted to relax scope. So, naturally their airline would be "jumbo" heavy. Of course, now they are trying to regain all of that lost progression by screaming that "longevity" is the end all while forgetting that the 3 factors mentioned in the ALPA merger policy is a means to an end. The point of the policy is NOT that the final list be composed soley by heavily weighing any of the much preached about "3 factors". The entire goal is a "fair and equitable list". Arbitrators can compare size of airplane or size of underwear if they want, as long as they come up with a "fair and equitable list". In the end the crux of this SLI weighs on if the arbitrators feel that placing unemployed pilots of a shrinking airline in front of employed pilots with solid expectations as "fair and equitable".