I think that is a big part of the problem here. Delta pilot's recent experience with mergers were with parts of airline's that were about to be liquidated. If the Western and Pan Am pilots felt that a specially formulated ratio was unfair, who cares. They had no leverage and it would have been easy for Delta to just say "take it or leave it." The mergers with NWA have all been arbitrated even though Republic Airlines in 1986 was an airline in dire financial straits. At the time of the merger's announcement, Republic stock price had dropped to $4 per share. The financial distress notwithstanding, NWA felt that Republic brought a terrific hub in Detroit and Memphis along with a large fleet of 100 to 125 seat aircraft which NWA did not have. Thus the merger was not done on the pretext of buying a competitor that was on death's door.

I think a lot of NWA folks think that Delta still thinks the merger should be done with the same ratio strategy used for airlines that were about to be liquidated. That perception is insulting, and it shows by the reaction of the NWA MEC after negotiating with DAL.

Carl