Well, ONE arbitrator thought that way and in the context of a pure U/AWA merge, it's debatable with some valid arguments from East pilots on its propriety. Since it was never implemented and as a result, the two pilot groups have remained separate and more importantly from a future arbitral consideration standpoint, would likely CONTINUE to remain separate for an extended period of time (perhaps even arguably in perpetuity) absent this merger, A MAJOR question for the final arbitration panel for THIS merge will be "does adoption of a pure Nic template for the US Airways pilot group as a whole simplify or complicate the concept of pre-merger career expectations as a litmus for this SLI with AA pilots ?".

Maintaining the pre-merger career expectations of all pilot groups will be a major argument in this SLI so as to prevent a windfall for any one group within the 3 presently defined lists. Regardless of whether the West gets their own reps and even if they then argue for the Nic, the arbitrators could discount that argument in that it would force undesirable complexities on a final ISL, including, but not limited to extensive and complicated fences. Personally, I don't see this final arbitration panel placing adoption of the unconsummated Nic as the first priority if it forces excessive complexities in the ISL or sacrifices the pre-merger career expectations of AA pilots.