Not long after ALPA published its stance against the Justice Department’s move, union president Lee Moak cosigned with 12 regional airline chapter heads an August 13 letter to members supporting American Eagle’s position against US Airways’ effort to “whipsaw,” or pit regional airline pilots against each other to gain leverage in negotiations for new fee-per-departure contracts. The Eagle MEC considers Moak’s support a victory, given ALPA’s fervent advocacy of the merger. Indeed, if any new merger agreement doesn’t address the “whipsawing” tactics described in the letter, ALPA might need to rethink its position.