Originally Posted by
Purple Drank
That just won't cut it. "I'm guessing" isn't good enough by a damn sight.
How is the fuzzy, undefined "as much as possible" better (in your view) than the clearly measurable set of outcomes that DAL 88 Driver advocates?
I don't know how you could know what was possible until you start the process. You need to prepare for the process but negotiations are dynamic. Opportunities come and go. The objective in modern airline negotiations are to keep the process going. There are a lot of examples of pilot groups who were not able to keep the process going and they generally haven't fared well. I'm not saying we need to give in to the company. If the company stonewalls and we keep negotiating we will be closer to self help sooner than if we are deemed to be negotiating in bad faith.
You can set a finite objective and stick with it. You might get exactly what you want. Or you might set at a level that stalls negotiations in which case you get nothing.
You do know that I'm an internet message board poster and have nothing to do with negotiations? "Guessing" is all I can do.