TonyC - Yes, I was aware of Tradewinds, but not the other. Thanks. I agree with you about the holding company language being important. I was aware of the poison pill language, but I thought that if we entered self help under the RLA, the company is allowed to find alternative means to conduct their business, regardless of any contractual language. IE, RLA supercedes CBA. Is this not correct?

FECAV8R - No, you're reading into my post something that wasn't intended. Nowhere did I say if it didn't cost, it wasn't worth it. Additionally, I'm doing exactly as the MEC requested. I'm going through the contract with a fine toothed comb and looking at it one section at a time. I'm not a 'single issue guy', I am only able to really work through one section at a time and to speak intelligently on it after I digest it. And actually, you're incorrectin your assertion that there is nothing worse in this TA than we had before. The Compensation Section (including the "signing bonus') of the TA ends up giving us slightly less money at the end than if we had simply asked them to continue the previous 18 month incremental raises under the old contract. It works out to just under 3.3% annualized. It might interest you to know that inflation has been:

JUN04-DEC04 3.06%
2005 3.39%
JAN06-JUL06 3.88%

Kinda makes less than 3.3%/year look like not such a great deal...

Finally, your "pensions raped" comment is right on the money. Again I ask, why in hades are we improving our A Plan when a sane person would be running away from it.

Thanks for your feedback.