Originally Posted by
cadetdrivr
Unfortunately that would be a given regardless of outcome. We are talking about two VERY different airlines in virtually every aspect.
Nope, just the terrible two hundred.
Everybody needs to take the emotion out of it. Not easy, I know, and that's why there are arbitrators. There are three key factors in the current ALPA merger policy that must considered. Rationally look at those for insight, not a wag of how other mergers went down.
But ---and here's the elephant in the room--- if something happens before JB gets a collective bargaining agreement with solid successorship language all bets are off. JB pilots simply have no foundation to base their claims, including continued employment after a transaction of any sort.
It could make SWA/AirTran look like a walk in the park----and that was two narrowbody airlines. AirTran had weak language (relatively speaking) which partially enabled SWA to pull its stunt with a management and union on the same page exploiting every loophole. Now consider an entity with status-quo language that actually makes things worse for its pilots.
That's something that JB pilots can control, not UA.
So let's assume UA is in talks to buy JB. I assume they would be talking right now and this would not be a surprise to our management. At the same time we are negotiating a CBA. Would it be better for UA to do the deal after a CBA which would have clear language for us or try to grab us now and who knows what that would lead to.