1) Corporate entities decide merger/acquisition is in INVESTORS best interest.
2) Corporations announce merger/acquisition.
3) Unions informed of proposed merger/acquisition.
4) 4 party talks take place (union/management) to confer about best practices going forward.
5) 4 party talks produce process agreement.
6) Process agreement lays out desired path towards integration.
7) Process agreement states:
WHEREAS, Section 13(b) of Allegheny-Mohawk authorizes the Parties to utilize an agreed-upon alternative method to resolve the seniority integration issues; and
WHEREAS, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (“SWAPA”), the Air Line Pilots Association (“ALPA”), Southwest and AirTran desire to utilize an alternative process as set forth in this Agreement for the creation of an Integrated Master Seniority List; and
WHEREAS, SWAPA, ALPA, Southwest and AirTran also wish to provide for the orderly combination of Southwest Pilots and AirTran Pilots under a single Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) and representation by a single collective bargaining representative within a single transportation system under the Railway Labor Act, as amended, 45 U.S.C. Section 151 et seq. (“RLA”).
8) Tentative agreement reached by both negotiating committees.
9) ALPA MEC does not send initial TA to membership for ratification vote.
10) Second tentative agreement reached by both negotiating committees.
12) Second TA is sent to both unions for membership ratification.
13) Both unions ratify agreement by 83% with more than 93% union participation at both unions.
These are the facts and they are indisputable.