... and I just wanted to point out that virtually all the RJ Captains would have preferred to have a Delta number and get furloughed while you continued working ... and today while you enjoyed uninterrupted employment they would enjoy 12+ years of longevity instead of 5, or the thousands still waiting ....

When they tried, the Delta pilots termed it a "seniority grab." But lets look at the truth. At ASA we had negotiated special seniority provisions which allowed concurrent seniority for Delta's bid restricted second officers who needed experience to upgrade to a command seat at Delta. Later, when furloughs happened we negotiated preferential hiring (for our admittedly inferior jobs) for any Delta pilots who wanted them ... and we were damn glad to get the great Delta pilots who did come over. We tried to help and assist the Delta pilots whenever they had a need we could help with.

ALPA merger policy was then ... status quo. By pay or equipment, either measure was a staple. Examples abound, like that of Pan Am Express, which was "merged" if you will by simply extending the Pan Am list down to capture the Ransome (Express) pilots. A couple of those Ransome guys eventually retired from Delta.

Years later, with ALPA merger policy significantly modified the Northwest merger introduced new equities into the mix, like the protection of advancement by speculated future attrition. Even so, the result was not date of hire. I've never heard a Delta pilot claim the Northwest merger was a "seniority grab." Although as a matter of the methodology employed the Northwest pilots were (understandably) much more aggressive than anything the ASA pilots could have mounted.

I saw the ASA / Comair proposal which never quite made the light of day. Imagine if you will, a zipper. You had the ASA and CMR pilots on each end of the unattached bottom. They remained within their current positions on their own list (unless the Company chose to merge the operation). They would also have a Delta system seniority number which they could use, if they wanted, to bid up into the Delta system when they had the seniority to hold a Delta job (MD88B, 727FO, whatever was most junior). I thought it a perfectly workable system which would have benefitted you by you rightfully taking a Delta job (admittedly on a smaller jet than you probably would have preferred).