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Putting language into the contract that is triggered by entry into formal section 6 negotiations altering employee's behavior is a violation of "status quo". So yes, something "in law prevents us from negotiating restrictions when section 6 negotiations" begin. It's called the RLA.
Originally Posted by Adlerdriver
It seems like you need to educate yourself and be a little more familiar with the Railway Labor Act (RLA) under which you work. Specifically the "status quo" requirement that is imposed on both sides when section 6 notices are served to begin the process of formally altering the existing CBA. We, as a labor group, can't engage in coordinated behavior designed to monetarily injure the company in an effort to force them to capitulate. In the past, the type of coordinated behavior that has been identified to be in violation of the RLA during section 6 negotiations are things like sick outs, maintenance write-up campaigns and even the choice to fly over-time (if it's proven to be a union coordinated change to established behavior). A union sponsored restriction to a pilot's ability to make-up flying, potentially denying the company the ability to staff trips would be seen no differently. Putting language into the contract that is triggered by entry into formal section 6 negotiations altering employee's behavior is a violation of "status quo". So yes, something "in law prevents us from negotiating restrictions when section 6 negotiations" begin. It's called the RLA.
Then educate me. Where does it say that we cannot negotiate language (theoretically) that would restrict “over time” flying during section 6 negotiations, or during furlough, or understaffing, etc?
I think you are confusing what status quo means. That simply means that what the standard practice is before section 6 cannot be changed during section 6. In other words, what’s already in the contract and the way it’s been interpreted and enforced, cannot be changed without it being renegotiated. So if something already exists in the contract, by definition, it’s the status quo.