Originally Posted by
sailingfun
I was at the meeting. I heard Lawson state that ALPA merger policy was all they would except unless a prenup was DOH. Seemed pretty clear to me what his demands were. I never heard CG express what you state. Not saying it did not happen but I never heard him make those kind of statements. There was a surprising amount of MEC support to try and convince the company to merge the lists. I don't think however we would have ever convinced the company to due that for many reasons short of massive concessions in every other area of the contract and management retaining the ability to split off Comair and ASA for sale if they desired.
Sailing, thank you. If you were there, you're authoritative. Many people have looked for any documentation of that meeting and those positions, I can say that if that happened, no record exists, but I believe you if you heard it with your own ears. Are you sure they were not just sticking to ALPA merger policy and refusing to compromise on a matter of procedure? (politically dumb, but that's what they said they did and under the rules they did have that right)
Your point about preserving ASA and Comair as saleable assets is absolutely correct.
You make it sound a little as though some type A political grandstanding doomed a unity effort which would have benefited many pilots. (which is how I view what you describe.. and yes, I could see that happening) Is that your impression? Or, was it something which had so many structural problems that it would never have gotten off the ground absent a max effort which our union was unwilling to make?
As that letter typifies, both Arnold and Lawson could be type A orifices. But, if true, was that any reason to fire the starter's pistol on all the outsourcing?
With sincere humility, thank you for your perspectives.