I am sure this was part of it but contract 2006 had a lot of efficiencies gains and that passed with 112% of the vote. This math humor is a bottomless well. In addition to the aforementioned bid for training provisions it also opened up open time utilization and lessened the requirements for reserve manning. I also think the company philosophy is no longer absolutely positively whatever it takes and is willing to accept some nominal system failures in the domestic system.

As part of its member education I would love it if midway in a contract the union would analyze the last contract and educate us on what changes resulted in what efficiencies for the company. How it effected manning and what they saved. Call it an after action report.