Originally Posted by
Fritzthepilot
So what's the benefit in this case of rallying the troops like jersey union guys? They are not negotiating the SLI, so why do they need to be motivated in such a manner? Surely Capt Brucia and his team don't need convincing do they? I think the EWR lec chair did the CAL pilots at EWR, and the combined UAL group going forward as a whole, a disservice.
The average CAL line pilot has no control over this process except their single vote for the JCBA. They do not need to be motivated by slanted emotional views which might not have any bearing on the SLI. If the SLI does not go the way they were led to believe, they will feel disenfranchised and angry towards the original UAL pilots over something they had no control over to begin with. The entire 10,000+ UAL pilot group going forward will have been dealt a blow because we have to work together for decades to come. Not just on this contract, but on another within the next 3-5 years. If the UAL MEC simply states that my negotiators are doing everything possible to fight for my rights, that's enough for me. I don't need cheerleaders or baseball bats for this because there is nothing I can do.
I'm curious why the CAL pilots laugh at the UAL wide body ratios? UAL has 113 wide body frames. CAL has 48. That's 42% of UAL's. If you are given credit for your 21 75-300's, CAL has only 61% of UAL's.
Fritz
To clarify the last portion of your post; many people with whom I fly laugh at the position of many ual pilots that a more preferable sli will happen for their pilots due to the ratio of widebody to pilots. I believe you even stated in another post how your pilots are more likely to fly a widebody. Of course that's the case if you park a huge narrowbody fleet and furlough 1400. The remaining fleet will obviously make up the statistical majority of aircraft. My point was not to rub a nose or defend one over another. It was to say that both groups have bragging rights and I have no problem with ours highlighting ours. You asked why the rep had to speak publicly. My opinion is that this group is so ****ed off that he wants to show his constituents that he has the same fire in his belly as we do on the line. Many fear that this merger will become an average- lowering our wages and getting some of your scope. I know you guys won't allow that nor will ours. But my feeling on the line is that to bring your average up there will be very little to increase our side afterwards. I understand your frustrations as well. Heck we never had a good contract so it must be miserable to have one then lose it. This is just business in my mind and both groups are proud of what we have or at least once had in the past.