Originally Posted by Bluedriver

This is one very humble dudes opinion:

The company has spent months and millions planning the NEA. They want it, they want it bad, they want it NOW.

The LOA that allows them to do it within pilots scope clause just failed. The company can't say "hey we know this failed, but we need/want this really bad, we hear you, you want profit sharing (and protections) so let's work this out". They can't say that, puts the leverage in the pilots hands.

Instead they are announcing the launch of the NEA to the world, because they want it bad, and they want it now. Their message to the pilots is "we're doing it anyway", not because they think they will win the arbitration, because I think they know they won't, but this way they can launch the NEA now like they want and this buys them 60 days to work out a mutual agreement with the pilots. However, right now we are in the Ford and Harrison "expectations lowering" phase. For the next 1-3 weeks the company will just say "sorry, not sorry" to get pilots used to the idea that they have lost and the company is just going to do it anyway.

At some point in the coming weeks the company will re-engage with ALPA to try and find a mutually agreeable agreement. In my opinion, they can NOT run out the 60 day clock and get a ruling in the pilots favor, as it would put all the cards in the pilots hands.

If the union quickly moves forward with a survey, I believe it is because the company has told them behind the scenes that talks will start again.

I believe the FC-FC and FC-International scope is clear and explicit, and I don't think the company expects to win. They are posturing and managing expectations.

That is my opinion. We will know within the next few months, or less, if I'm right.