Originally Posted by
GrapeNuts
No, you are wrong. East pilots that were hired at America West Airlines were hired before AWA purchased US Airways. The US Airways guys were on the street, furloughed, with applications out at many airlines. A few were fortunate enough to be picked up by AWA in 2004, a year before AWA bought U. These east pilots were street hires, went through the entire training program and placed on the seniority list according to their AWA date of hire.
When the TA was written in 2005 it allowed furloughed pilots from either airline going to the other seniority list. In 2007, as costs were out of control at the new US Airways we could no longer compete in the leisure markets and closed a few bases, LAS being one of them. The furloughed west pilots were given the option of flying in the east system- no training required since we are on the same certificate. These west pilots kept their AWA DOH because USAPA was pushing for DOH system wide.
Now, MDA pilots (like you) and a few third list pilots are hoping for a relative merge but these west guys are kind of a fly in your ointment- because their placement on the east seniority list is preserved through the TA which was agreed to in 2005- an agreement you are saying no longer exists.
As I have said, you have an uphill battle with arbitrators. This is just one example why.
I guess if you tell you a lie long enough it becomes truth.
For some US guys, going to AWA was the worst mistake they could make.
Costs weren't out of control. LAS was part of a business plan that could not work with the higher FUEL COSTS.