The merger and SLI has everything to do with the December vacancy award.

Twenty former LUS guys got G4 CA awards that by pure seniority would have gone to more senior LAA pilots. But the SLI has a minimum number of G4 CA jobs (183) protected for the LUS guys until the end of 2020. The trigger was met which meant the 20 LUS guys, regardless of their overall ability to hold G4 CA, were awarded a G4 slot. The junior guy is #4600, or 1200+ below the junior G4 CA company wide and 2300 numbers junior to the current junior guy in his new bid status.