Originally Posted by
John Carr
^^^^^^^^^TRUTH/FACT.
Contrary to what many think, it flows downhill. This was seen pre 9/11 as legacies were getting better CBA's, some regionals were as well. ACA, AWAC, COMAIR, ASA.
And post 9/11, the crap flowed downhill. Legacies taking concessins, regionals expected to follow suit. AGAIN, COMAIR, ACA, AWAC. Many others took a "stealth" concession via stalled negotiation and CBA's going way past ammendable dates.
Not sure I understand the relationship you are trying to draw between concessions and outsourcing.
Outsourcing (in it's current form) began with the changes to ALPA's Constitution in (I believe) 1998 which removed "alter ego" protections from ALPA's merger and fragmentation language. Thus ASA was bought in 1999 and Comair in 2000 then operated as with a 500 airplane order announced about the same time. Contract 2000 restricted some of Atlantic Southeast's larger aircraft which were operated with ~ 120 seats.
(going from memory here, so either bear with me or let me know and I'll dig up my notes)
ALPA advised it's pilots that scope (labor protective provisions) could be stripped during bankruptcy. Some of us disagreed, stating that no Judge had yet stripped non pecuniary labor protective provisions. ALPA took the pragmatic approach, making labor protective provisions an economic issue and negotiating scope just like any other part of Delta's contract (and NWA did the same).
Delta and Northwest pilots both took credits (money) for increasing outsourcing. In plain terms, scope was sold.
Years later APA taught us that indeed Judges would invalidate scope (LPPs) in contracts. I wonder if ALPA's economic approach influenced the Judge to perceive scope as an economic issue. None the less, ALPA turned out to be very correct on the legal issue.
But, aside from APA, no scope was taken from any mainline carrier during bankruptcy. It was negotiated away.