Originally Posted by
Hotel Pen
Saabs, Purple, Whisky et al:
I agree we should negotiate as much as we can and that the Jan. 3 deadline is a scare tactic, but isn't there a false sense of gain in the whole 'I'm fine with the greenbook' argument?
I agree that now is not the time for concessions, but we can't act as if arbitration is a victory. It equates to a loss of a good deal of money for every pilot on the list and what the greenbook maintains simply isn't that good. If we had the vaunted 'Delta work rules' in the greenbook that would be one thing, but it seems to me we have a choice here of 'crummy work rules with a small raise' or 'crummy work rules with a bigger raise.' Whether or not this was the company outmaneuvering us in negotiations can be argued, but it is the current reality. The losses from the Company's offer (HBT, combined intl/dom and midnight sims) don't seem to outweigh the financial gain for every pilot.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Nobody ever negotiated successfully without an honest perspective of what the advesary needed and could afford (without clouded judgement of one's own fears).. He has told us what he needs and can't get in arbitration and it's obvious what he can afford.
We have caught him in numerous lies and half truths. There is nothing special at all about Jan 3rd... He will always need to buy the industry standard concessions that he is offering to buy.. That is until we sell them. Arbitration is meaningless in the sale of those concessions, except to the extent it is used as a scare tactic and delay to the actual settlement he needs to be on even footing with Delta.
Sooner or later we will come to an agreement, inspite of Doug's dogs of war.