It's all business.

Along those lines, the Company actions are predictable.

The question is whether the Union is finally going to grow a pair. One can only hope. By Union, I mean not only the MEC and committes, but the line pilots.

I fully expect and hope for arbitration. I do not want the usual pu$$ies, dweebs, geeks, nerds and 92-percenters voting on my pay, yet again. I also want transparency from the Union. I don't want to find out the Union proposal was too low, after ther Arbitrator renders a decision.

I think you're right about the Company timeline. It'll be as late as possible for the reasons you mentioned and more. They have nothing to lose, everything to gain.

I expect numerous plays from the Company playbook. After all, they have worked well in past negotiations. The Company is just better at the process. Past performance and past results speak for themselves.

I could foresee an 11th-hour offer in lieu of Arbitration and or a white night could ride in to save the day. They might even offer a sacraficial lamb, Hornibrook or the VP of Employee/Labor, as a show of supposed good faith and a fresh start.

Whatever the play, don't sell either Uncle Brad or Uncle Benito short. They didn't rise to their lofty positions by being soft. Despite what some pilots believe, Brad is not that nice guy. Whether he does his own dirty work he gets somebody else to do the dirty work, the end results are the same.

Aslo, as far as "working documents" go, don't forget that the Mechanics have yet to vote on their TA which includes a small double-digit raise, I believe 17%. I am not sure on the exact percentage. It really doesn't matter with respect to the point that I am trying to make. Rhetorically and hypothetically, what would happen to the Mechanics' TA if it were disclosed that the Company offered the pilots more than that? I don't expect the company to offer anything formal to the pilots until after the mechanics have voted on/passed their TA. Bottom line, they don't have to-