Here is my simple .02 on the national list. I am against it for some of the many good reasons stated above. I can also understand why a lot of guys are for the national list.

I don't agree with a list, but what I would love to see is a NATIONAL BASE CONTRACT. It is kinda like the NBA where every player gets the same basic deal and whatever a guy can work out more with his team he can do so. The base language and works rules should be the same for every airline and the pay should start at 19 seats and go up to the 747/A380. We set the base contract on the top 75% of the airlines existing pay scales, work rules, days off, recall rights, scope, equipment, you name it. No work groups are allowed to lowball and go below the contract, but if a work group can negotiate better than the base deal they should be allowed to and encouraged to do so. We should show our individual contracts to the group. Knowing the bar other guys in similar airlines and equipment set allows a stronger negotiating position for the rest especially if they can count on the backing of other work groups. The guys on the top right now might lose at the beginning and the guys at the bottom win but over time it will average out.

We all talk about pilots being a brotherhood. This would be the time to prove it. We know the airlines would try to stick it to all of us and not budge on anything more then the base contract. We need to support every other pilot group when they are trying to get what they can in negotiations be it legacy or small regional. If we fail to support one airline, we have screwed all of us. We need to insure that when a company violates the contract or tries to screw a work group they should be prepared to take on every pilot group because we are all working under the same base deal.

We also need to take a stand on pilots who try to undercut the contract. We need to make it crystal clear to pilots that going to work for a company started to get around some sort of other contract (national pilot contract, or scope) that they will be blacklisted from all airlines working under the contract. You are either one of us or you are not.

None the less it is time we stop pointing fingers and work together to make all of our lives better. We should all be paid and work under rules that treat us with the respect we deserve and the only way that will happen is if all of us stand together.