Look, everyone is taking this personal when it's not. Both MEC's are just doing what they feel is best for their pilots. I'm sorry, but that's how it works in a merger until we have one MEC. This has been true of the UAL/cal and every other merger in history.

The ASA MEC explains the benefit of bargaining for PBS outside of contract negotiations in order to get the QOL work rules needed to make it viable for the pilot group at that time. Well, that's exactly what the xjt MEC is doing for the exact same reasons! So why take it personal?

The reason why the xjt MEC is considering smartpref is because that's the PBS that they feel that can actually get passed a ratification vote on the erj side. They feel, and have said it many times, that they could not achieve the QOL work rules needed to make flight line viable enough to pass a ratification vote for the erj pilot group at this time. They believe that it's the only viable way forward with a JCBA. If they don't get work rules that are good enough, then I'm sure they will just go with flight line and put some other TA out for vote with that PBS and see what happens.

The fact is that the failed TA has a previously agreed upon process to deal with this PBS issue. Just as both MECs can approve the previously language in the failed to for ALPA PAC, dues check off, prisoner of war, etc, they can easily do this for the PBS process agreement. The only reason why we are discussing this again is because the ASA MEC has decided to change their mind on something they already previously agreed on. The erj MEC tried to address the ASA MEC issue by agreeing to make it a weighted vote in order to make it "fair" yet their MEC reneged on that. Now the erj MEC has convinced the company to have two PBSs in perpetuity but that seems to not be good enough for the ASA MEC either, judging by that last email. So why are we still talking about PBS? It's not for the lack of effort on the erj MECs part, that's for sure.

So just let the process work itself out. We, in the erj side especially, voted no on the last TA and will suffer the consequences of that vote. We all knew that but were principled enough to not give into concessions, something we need more of in this industry. The erj MEC will either not be able to negotiate work rules to their satisfaction and decide to just go with flight line, or the ASA MEC will agree to have two separate PBSs, or the erj MEC will be able to negotiate work rules in order to at least send it out for parallel bidding and a ratification vote. If that happens, the issue will go to arbitration. If the Asa MEC wins the arbitration, then we go with flight line. If they lose the arbitration, then we would wait and see if they continue to try to fight it through some other grievance.

So the process is there for this to resolve itself in a number of different ways. Let's let the MEC do what they feel is best for their pilots (with their pilots input of course) and see what happens. So let's not take it personal.