Originally Posted by
eaglefly
*sigh*
This isn't an integration of Wall street players (or management). Of greater interest (and seemingly more relevant) is how any such corporate "financial performance" would have translated to the Pilots financial performance, namely the thickness of their wallets going forward separately vs. combined[I].
Okay, let's only look at the pilot's wallets. Absent the merger, I would have continued making my paltry wide-body rates, with an expected upgrade to paltry command rates in the 3-6 year range (3 with separate East/West ops, but more realistically 6 with eventually getting a combined contract). Absent the merger, our expectations were to continue on, approximately the same size (at min fleet count, so reductions in those numbers would have required a contract with raises) but with substantial retirements. US Airways was profitable and would have continued to remain around for the forseable future.
You, on the other hand, would have been saddled with a bankruptcy contract, fleet reductions and (potentially) furloughs (in the range of 400), and an inept management team that intended to outsource some of your international flying to code-share partners and more of your domestic flying to regional partners. Your 1800 recalls would certainly not have been given the opportunity to come back, at least for a few more years. By your own admission, it was Parker (a benefit of the merger) that reversed that potential future.
Nowhere did I even insinuate that AA was in their death throes and was saved by US Airways. Not even close. However, I will say that your growth, recalls, hiring, and substantial raises (from the proposed bankruptcy rates) came as a direct result of the merger with US Airways. Absent that merger, Horton would have continued driving the company into the dirt, like your last decade of management.
Originally Posted by
eaglefly
Now it is me having no idea of what you are trying to say. On one hand, you're arguing the certainty of AA's pre-merger weakness in conjunction with US Airways lack of weakness and now based on the above you seem to agree on the subjectivity of it all and that was my point. Considering that, why have you not recognized yet that BOTH of our opposing opinions on this are meaningless ?
This was exactly the point I was trying to make. Nothing you say nor anything I say will make a difference. You're a worthless flow-through guy that didn't even interview for your job, and I'm a worthless third-lister, that after 7 years with my company am still not considered a "real" US Airways pilot by most of our senior guys. We're both far too junior to have any real impact on the process.
I was merely refuting your ideas that the mighty AA came in and made everything better for us lowly aAquired folks, granting you the superior position in the SLI arbitration. And, I'll make you a beer bet, one junior guy to another -- I'll bet the very senior guys and the very junior guys are relatively happy, and all the middle guys are ****ed at the results.
My prediction, in terms of how they weight the arbitration is +.5 AA (pay), +2 AA (widebody/narrowbody ratio), +1 US (Career Progression/Retirements), +.5 US (Relative Seniority -- meaning ability to hold widebody much junior). The outcome -- pretty close to relative seniority for very junior and very senior folks, and a slight advantage for the middle AA 50% or so.
Want to bet a bottle of my favorite rum against your favorite case of beer? Just a friendly wager. If so, put up your completely speculative guesses, and we'll check on it in a year or so...