Originally Posted by
jetlink
The only difference, is that XJT aka COEX pilots were hired as CAL pilots 1995 not FA. Just because they operated under Express doesn't change the fact that they were still CAL seniority pilots. The confusion comes when COEX pilots, while still at COEX, were intermingled with of the street pilot into CAL, and during transition period of followthrough to strictly of the street hiring. A similar situation exists in AA, and DAL, with AE and Comair, and Mesaba pilots. UA has never experienced followthrough contracts, and perhaps it may cause some confusion.
And this was obviously the big sticking point in the SLI. Merger policy was changed to include longevity which for LUAL is very important at this point. However it also says that merger seniority starts when you're hired at that company as a pilot.
SECTION 45 – MERGER AND FRAGMENTATION POLICY 4/30/09
d. The date of hire shall be the date upon which a pilot first appears upon the Company's payroll as a pilot and also begins initial operational training required to perform such duties in airline operations.
XJT pilots were on the CAL company "payroll as a pilot" on their DOH at XJT. At least that's what their pay stubs say. To not argue for their integration at their XJT DOH would seem to violate merger policy.
The bigger clash (I think) is that the street hires are intermingled with these XJT pilots on the LCAL list and therefore placed beside them on the proposed SLI at the nearby XJT pilot's DOH rather than their own, increasing their seniority by years sometimes, certainly not the intent of merger policy. The other option would have been to rearrange LCALs seniority list to place XJT on it at their XJT DOH, something that has never been done except through litigation.
Of course LUAL looks at that and says if LCAL won't put XJT pilots at their original DOH on their own list, then why should they be placed at their original DOH on the integrated list. An obviously valid complaint. I suspect lawyers drove this from the start and lawyers are going to solve it in the end.