Mark


Not to beat a Dead horse but,

I'm not sure what the real FDA problem Fix was for MGT as we already had previously signed an FDA LOA. Yes the Bridge improved FDA bennies but not massively.

As has already been proven, The Company had/has no real trouble filling New Hire FO slots in both FDA's and they still don't. Would they have trouble filling New hire Captain Slots if ALPA would have played Hard ball.

As to the "Bridge". No matter how one slices and dices it or spins it, it was a Brand New contract. True, it was not much more an 1 year extension with an option for 2 and a status quo plus a 3% pay raise with a few extra bennies here and there.
But the fact is, it was a brand New Valid RLA Contract with a new amendable date.

I know I know, the hope was that we would have a new Contract at the Amendable date of the "Bridge" FEB 2013 but that certainly didn't happen.

I know there are many Pro /Con arguments.

A Fact is that 2011 wasn't the best Negotiating environment from the Pilot perspective. We were the Top of the industry and we were basically the only ones hiring and at that time FDX was most Pilots 1st choice.

Snap shot today. Consolidation, Better economy, Low Fuel and now all the BIG 3 are hiring. AAL has basically completed the Merger with USAIRWAYS. Everyone is profitable and now our pay rates are not the top anymore.

I'm not a psychic and I have no idea how all this will play out.

Had we elected not to sign the Bridge and continue in Full Section 6 in 2011-12, it is anyones guess as to when we would have inked a 4-5 year deal. If we had inked a deal in late 2011 or 2012, would it have been Top of the industry now? If it would have been a 5 year deal in 2012 and we then watch AA and DELTA surpass us and we had 4 more years before Openers in 2017, how would everyone have felt at this time? Figuring at least 2-3 years in Full Section 6 new contract in 2019-20.

Now that AA and Delta have higher rates Management knows we will not settle for anything less than they have. In fact will we settle for anything less than Delta Plus a nickel? I hope not.

Now, we at least have a target that Management and the NMB mediator cannot ignore. We do not even know what the New Delta pay rates are yet.

Again, I cannot predict how this will all shake out. I have no clue what we will settle for. I hope everyone still has their sights high.

I do know that presently, we are in a much stronger position to demand what we want or deserve , much more so than we were in 2011-2012.

I suspect we will know in the coming months.

In the mean time, it is up to 4200 Pilots to tell Management we deserve more.