Originally Posted by
dynap09
No question west may make out big time if this goes there way. But what has this to do with LAA folks? This is all east/west stuff.
West folks stand to both jump up the list AND if there is credit given to expected US Airways attrition they may ALSO capture those benefits. In other words the east attrition will benefit the west.
The only thing that would make west happier is if they get a bunch of attorney fees back in their case against the east pilots.
So we agree if west proposal carriers some west pilots are going to see big jumps. But for AA folks what's the impact? APA and West both agree that this is an east/west issue.
With the West's proposal, their pilots have incredible bidding power in LAA statuses. Bidding power that comparable pre-merger LAA pilots won't have. IF the Nic is JUST an East/West issue, then both those committees (well, IF the East shows) should then have no problem with acceptable post merger fences both narrow and wide body to protect LAA pilots pre-merger equities along with making any resolution to the Nic dispute pure in that West pilots realize whatever overdue benefit the arbitrators see fit to award them in East statuses. This would truly isolates the issue to pre-merger LUS and thus makes the SLI more equitable.
Of course, neither of the LUS initial proposals included any such consideration. The East was based on a "merger of equals" and the West, a forward only looking model based on the pure Nic as a reality, instead of an unconsummated hypothetical ONLY in play now due to this merger and little or no limitations on exercising their new windfall. Both proposals not only offered no post merger protections recognizing the different pre-merger equities, but refused to even acknowledge those pre-merger equities and thus no fences. That's why I call it the "hat trick".
GOAL 1 : Get
the Pure Nic.
* this is a maximum result for the West against the East and virtually nothing is left to argue in this respect. They consider this goal an entitlement.
GOAL 2 : Use that now real list (formerly hypothetical) as the foundation of a model that maximizes gains against LAA (they've already clobbered the East), especially the longevity component with 1200 native furloughees and 600 or so AE flow-thru's.
* This was successful for the principle legal strategist of the West committee in UAL/CAL, but has been modified for maximum effect due to specifics of LAA pilots.
GOAL 3 (AKA "for the win") : Argue for minimum impedance in ability to use their past two goals for maximum benefit system wide as in no fences. The West is then free to scatter in all directions into LAA status while many LAA pilots watch (I'm sure some in recoiled horror and stunned disbelief) who in some instances now years away from statuses they may have held in short order pre-merger/post bankruptcy.