How do you think arbitrators figure it out? They figure out guys entire careers and not just where they merge at the date the SLI is announced. So being senior at some point is part of the value equation that has to be addressed.

LUS has about 180 Group IV CA slots.
There are approx. 550 third listers.
With the additional Group IV a/c on order LUS will have about 350 Group IV CA slots. So only 64% of third listers will be able to sit in a Group IV CA seat.

Even if the third listers are stapled, which they won't be, they'll eventually all be in the top 1100 guys. Why 1100? Because that's approx. how many Group IV CA jobs there will be by 2020. At some point 100% of third listers will be line holders vs. only roughly 50% lineholders with 12% on reserve if LUS hadn't merged. That's a net increase of approx. 50% of Group IV CA jobs for the third listers. That's why you'll do ok.

How does an arbitrator value the increase in career earnings and w/b QWL that the younger US guys will eventually benefit from due to the merger? That's the $64,000 question the parties will try to hash out in front of the arbitrators.