Oh also, always gotta watch for management tricks trying to sell scope. They will say “we will buy 50 more 737s” or “15 new widebodies” if you allow 50 more regional jets. Pilots and their votes dont buy airplanes. Management buys airplanes. If it’s a good business decision to buy airplanes, they will do it anyway regardless of the pilots vote on something. That’s a regional tactic used to whip saw pilot groups and force one into taking a substandard contract. They basically promised more growth/movement (and captain jobs essentially) to the pilot group that accepted the bad contract who would be awarded new flying, and that has been introduced at the majors.

Recently, during DALs negotiations, their CEO said they would buy 50 or 60 (I think) 737s and 20 E190s if they ratified their (failed) TA back in 2015. Pilots still voted it down, the next day the order was canceled. Not too long after that, delta ordered more 737s and 75 C Series (with 50 options)...which pays way more than the e190s anyway over there.

So, scope isn’t just an independent clause that sits there. It’s historically been used as a bargaining chip.

Why would jetblue ever get widebodies if NAI/NAS/aer lingus/Hawaiian/Emirates/etc will codeshare with us and fly our pax for us? If these codeshares turn to JVs it could get even worse. Or what if JB management/BoD set up an NAI copycat called JetBlue International that JVd with the normal JetBlue and did all the widebody flying but paid pilots significantly less than JetBlue pilots? Know how many regional pilots would salivate over flying a 787 for $50-$100 an hour? That’s what we have to prevent, and the only way to do that is in section 1.