After much though regarding the TA, I'm still struggling to figure out why MG, the execs, and F&H would all of a sudden want a deal done. The rumors are about needing financing for a large new airplane order (more than likely will be more used Airbuses from a place like Cebu).
But the major problem I'm having with this TA is that this is very reminiscent of the fight we had over six years ago with the last pay raise, and I'm starting to think this is their MO, and we keep falling for it:
1. Wear down your pilot group over the course of years, take away stuff, make their work-life almost unbearable.
2. Start a rumor or talk about future growth of this airline, get us thinking that this airline is headed in the right direction. In 2009, this was the 757 and Hawaii talk, now it's a rumor of a large airplane order, and they're going to be...gasp...NEW!!! This airline is definitely headed in the right direction now...
3. Throw money at the pilots to get them to agree to a contract with no work rules. They've been so frustrated that they just want a deal now. In 2009, we accepted an increase in pay with the promise that they would deal with work rules after. Not only did that not happen, they went ahead and just started throwing them out when they felt like it (pref bidding, merlot, etc.). Now, they're locking us in to a five year deal with pitiful work rules.
In summary, we said we weren't going to settle for a contract without awesome work rules, the company made life unbearable, then word all of a sudden comes out about growth and brand new airplanes, they throw a bunch of money at us, we forget about how unbearable it's been to work her because we have money on the brain, so we vote it in!
2009, now 2016. Hopefully we won't fall for it again in 2021.