Originally Posted by
Eric Stratton
I'm curious in your mind what went wrong with usair/AMA merger?
It sounds like the deal couldn't go through unless delta relieved the scope clause even if management wanted it to. well it could have but you would have to park the nwa widebodies. doesn't seem like it would be worth it if they did that. this is according to other delta guys on the board.
I don't think most nwa pilots are against the merger they are against getting taken to the cleaners just like the delta guys don't want to. you say that this is the best merger for nwa to avoid furloughs right. now if you do furlough will the guy who isn't in class yet (your may classes) get furloughed or will it be only nwa pilots since you now have a no furlough clause in your contract.
I guess I have to ask this question again. what incentive is there from the delta mec or delta management to get a SLI or joint contract done. I just don't see any. you got your raise and if there is a furlough only nwa will see the street. so whats that incentive???
The reason I think the US/AWA merger was not good is because the pilot groups have been divided. Granted my opinion is from an outsider's view, and I don't mean to put down a company I myself have never worked at. However, you cannot argue the fact that their hasn't been any discord since the merger of those two companies.
In response to your second statement, I don't know the specifics of either scope clause, so I won't pretend to. However, if the merger had gone through without the support of either pilot group, maybe the new merged company would have had to of parked some of NWA widebodies. To be honest, I'm not sure. The pilot groups would have still been divided, the merger would have created something "unexpected" for both pilot groups without any incentive packages. The majority of airline management has a history of working around labor contracts in order to reach certain operational goals.
From my perspective, I'm a new-hire and I expect to be chewing on the $hitty end of the stick one way or another. Ideally, it would be nice if either group didn't have to furlough. This process may take us down that road, it may not. The deal was engineered in a way to force the NWA to negotiate an adequate SLI. DAL management got half of the pilot group on board in hopes that it could entice the other pilot group. The incentive to DAL pilots is an even better paying contract/work rules than the one negotiated. The incentive for NWA is the same deal better pay/work rules.
Whose to say that if it went to arbitration that the NWA would have got the crappier end of the deal. It is always better if an agreement can be completed at the pilot level, at least both pilot groups will feel they fought and got a part of what they asked for. (My opinion at least)
Apology if this thread has been hijacked.