Even in cases such as those cited

in the previous section where the surviving-group principle is the

dominant criterion and as a result the employees from the purchased

or closed company, plant or department are placed at the

bottom of the seniority list, the employees in each group usually

are listed according to their length of service. Likewise, when the

follow-the-work principle, the absolute-rank principle, or the

ratio-rank principle is dominant, length of service in most instances

still plays an important role.

Length of Service:

In many cases length of service is the only criterion which is

employed when seniority lists are merged. In the airlines there

are numerous examples of this. When United Air Lines was

formed by consolidating a number of smaller companies, each

employee was placed on the seniority lists of the new company

on the basis of length of service within category. In the Inland-

Western merger the same pattern was followed. In the PanAm-

AOA consolidation, although the merged pilot seniority list was

not integrated solely by length of service, the lists of a number of

the other crafts were so integrated; the Pan Am and AOA clerks

represented by the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks agreed to

length-of-service integration as did the stockroom clerks who were

represented by the International Association of Machinists; and the Pan Am and AOA dispatchers were integrated solely by length of service as a result of an arbitration award.

Funny how in the past things were groovy for merger policy, and then ALPA (really UAL pilots who run and control ALPA) decided to change that policy. Absolute rank, length of continual and uninterrupted service used to mean something. But, since that wasn't going for them change had to happen. Thanks ALPA! Unity baby!