With regard to impending contract negotiations:

Please keep in mind that both the Company and the pilot group are legally required to maintain the status quo during negotiations. Past court cases have established that "status quo" means more than just following the contract. It also includes actions such as waiving contractual rights to a reserved seat for deadheads; performing a single-engine taxi; agreeing to waive our CBA provision for a calendar day off in domicile every 7 days; picking up open time, etc.

If, in the days, months, and years leading up to official CBA negotiations, we have a track record of doing all these things, then we can't just stop doing them the moment our negotiating committee faces tough times in dealing with the Company. We would be subject to actionable claims of an "Illegal Job Action." The historical track record we're establishing right now will be used to determine what is "status quo" during negotiations.

On the flip side, if we allow the Company to continually violate certain provisions of our CBA without challenge, the Company is establishing a "status quo" baseline as well. Our claims of unfair labor practices during official contract negotiations will fall flat because the Company will be able to show they're not doing anything in 2017 that they haven't been doing since 2015.

If ensuring the CBA is followed on a daily basis isn't already important enough, please keep this in mind as we establish the "status quo" that both sides will be expected to maintain beginning in March, 2016.

Oh… one more thing: Be sure EVERYONE is establishing a strike fund. We all know it's coming. If, by some miracle, we don't end up striking, then feel free to use your strike fund to buy some really great Christmas presents in the year 2019!