Guys, do not ask the captain to settle your disagreements or to become an FOM lawyer 20 minutes prior to pushback. His opinion only decides who rides that day and not what is correct. You both have brains and access to books and email and jumpseat committees and you can figure out who should ride between yourselves.

To me it's obviously pilot seniority and not company seniority. Rampers can't jumpseat. The scheming prick who thought to use his company seniorty deserves humiliation. I'd ask the captian for a quick thought and if he didn't have the brain reserves at the moment to yield an instant answer colored with ridicule for the scheming prick I'd just bow out and let the prick ride. And then I'd play dumb myself and go looking for the "correct" answer, and I'd drop the prick's name at every opportunity while forgetting the captain's as often as possible. As pilots, you all know we don't have time for childish crap like this. The captain had the situation dropped in his lap. Dummy, yes. But that scheming prick deserves 10 times the **** and rotten vegetables.