Originally Posted by
Sink r8
That sounds like a pretty good idea to me, being responsive to the membership.
Except that it was only responsive to those two members. Subsequent mergers had to deal with the removal of Date of Hire as a policy point. That advantaged some pilot groups and disadvantaged others.
In my opinion, ALPA should probably stay out of the merger policy business because there just isn't a fair and equitable general template that fits all situations. I think it's better that arbitrators decide based on the evidence each side brings to buttress their positions of a fair SLI. Of course, the best of all worlds would be the two sides controlling their destinies directly through negotiations and leave arbitrators completely out of it. I know, I know...unrealistic.
Originally Posted by
Sink r8
Actually, you haven't proven that it was United that effected this change. And the problem with that argument is that the change was effected the year before the merger was announced. I think most of the industry expected UAL to take UsAirways at the time, a group with even greater longevity.
It sounds to me as though the Nic was the driver for the change. Perhaps it was even a nod to the NW argument, and the arbitrators felt that "longevity" would better address your argument than having to use a plug-and-play method to account for attrition as an equity.
Seems like the changes are good for ALPA pilots, and certainly Delta pilots.
None of which changes the fact that the policy is far more precise than BondMcCaskill.
Again, not the best argument for DPA.
There's good discussions on this going on over on those threads. Neither side denies the United MEC affected the change to ALPA merger policy, and it was a very smart tactical move on their part based on United pilots' demographics and their very real concern about impending mergers.
But again, I agree that it's not the driving point of a DPA. If that was the only concern, there's no way I'd consider leaving ALPA. On the other hand, crowing about ALPA merger policy as a great protection that makes staying with ALPA worthwhile, has little merit as well.
Carl