Originally Posted by
Lockheed
the "company cannot implement squat, without their proffer of arbitration being accepted by the nmb...(which they won't do)...then the cooling off period...
I wish it were different but the NMB will not allow a strike at any carrier -
especially one that is contracted by the US military
this is simply a fact of life that we all must understand
Locheed is right.
This course of action will mean months and months of this stalemate.
since it is unlikely that we will be released, the unions only play is that they can drag out the stalemate long enough to make attrition numbers go up high enough that the company will acquiesce.
the company continues to hire pilots and can always simply work us harder to combat attrition.
How long will that take?
It would seem, that the best we can hope for is maybe a contract in March or April.
I wish every pilot, especially our Union "leadership" and negotiating committee would put their emotions aside and set down with pen and paper (like many of us have) and calculate what we are giving up for what we are holding out for.
We could have locked this down in Nov, but now- best case scenario (and it is unlikely) is that the arbitrator can some help close the gap in March or April.
That means a minimum of 6 months.
Do the math:
1. Difference in pay x guarantee.
2. Difference in 401k contribution/match
3. Increase in P/D
4. Travel Pay
In my case (2nd yr FO) it came out to approximately $4,400/mo
4,400 x 6 months= $26,400.
For a Sr. Captain, it nearly twice that.
Are the gains the Union is holding out for worth $26,000 or $50k+?
And, remember, this is best case scenario through the arbiter.
if it becomes an attrition battle, who knows how long.
This could go on another 6-12-18 months?
Are 2 days on scheduling (that historically the average pilot doesn't even work anyways) worth $100,000 dollars?
I say no.
But, everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you say YES, than, God's Speed. I won't attack you for it; I just hope everyone is looking at this logically, rather than emotionally, or worse- seeking revenge.