Yes, SKW top pilots are more senior than ASA's but something like 80% of our pilot group will loose seniority if merged with ASA. If you just look at what has happened over the last 18 months, you'll see that 37% (around 1000) of SKW pilots have been hired compared to less than 23% (around 400) at ASA? (according to a friend of mine at ASA, hired May 06)

A merger of the two groups will never happen for many reasons:

1. Prevent JA from whipsaw the two groups against each other.
2. If the two labor groups merge then it would become VERY Difficult for SKW to sale ASA down the road. An Airline with no pilots isn’t and airline. You could call them Jerry’s “Ace in the Hole.”
3. By merging the two pilot groups, JA will being showing little regard for his current SKW pilots; seeing that ASA will fight for DOH which will totally shaft SKW pilots. We won’t be placed at “THE BOTTOM,” but we’ll lose seniority.
4. Currently the overwhelming majority of SKW pilots LOVE drinking Jerry’s Kool-Aid (“Jerry’s Kids”). If he allowed the two pilot groups to merge he would end up with an overwhelming majority shift the other way to “Anti-Mgmnt.” Effective killing Jerry's other “Ace in the Hole.”