All recent mergers involving large airlines didn't need to have a merger assessment to fund a legal team due to the fact that they have nearly unlimited money in their MEC coffers from regular dues. So much that much of these dues are funneled back to ALPA national to help assist with smaller airlines who don't have the money to support a basic MEC structure. This is one reason why Delta has a strong push for an independent union, they keep all of their dues money.

So when Delta merged with NWA and Airways and AA now, their MECs have the money (due to their large size) to fund lawyers. Spirit and its almost 1100 dues paying (underpaid) members don't have those same excess funds for the 7 figure some a legal defense would require, hence the assessment.

Now Regional airlines can get around this. Take Pinnacle/Colgan/Mesaba. They chose to use pilot reps and no lawyers to argue the SLI. If they hadn't, an assessment would have been necessary as well. Short of us merging with the similar sized Frontier or Allegiant, you can best believe the other airline(s) will be "lawyering up) and we will need that assessment to fund a legal defense.

The only other choice is to send 3 pilot reps in (paid for by MEC flight pay loss) against a team of lawyers from Dewey Screwem and Howe from XXX Airline.

As pointed out, the ALPA merger policy is very clear on this. ALPA won't touch a merger because of what has happened in the past. We are on our own with the exception of using ALPA lawyers in the form of protocol as provided to both sides

Having the company pay up (quid) to fund this merger fund is a HUGE step in funding us without assessing us. It's why your emails to your reps should push for this now, instead of the clueless "where is my quid"