Originally Posted by
Sunvox
Been trying to understand the whole RLA/NMB contract negotiating process. As a United pilot I'm obviously interested in other pilot groups doing well in their own negotiations, and I'm looking to better understand the "reality" of how long our management can string us along before we're "released". So the question is: what's going on at AMR? Why hasn't APA gotten a contract? When did negotiations start? What is APA's leadership saying?
Anyways, just trying to better understand this whole process and I'm curious about what's going on with my fellow pilots at APA so thanks to any and all that take the time to answer.
Joe Peck
IADFO-76/75
That's funny; I thought APA was waiting to see what happens at UAL (LOL).
At the last APA meeting I attended (March), we were told that to get the NMB back to the table we have to get the issues down to about half a dozen. The NMB doesn't stand around helping the parties wade through 300 items in a 200 page contract. They only facilitate the end game. APA started negotiating in 2006, and in that time period we managed to complete about 15 items. The fact is that regardless of how large a concessionary contract every pilot group has signed since 2001, getting lost pay and benefits back is a multi contract effort. APA spent too much time trying to get it all back at once, and the NMB wasn't playing the game.
So now we are basically starting from square one (last fall), and to date we have made significant progress. But we still have a long way to go (read that 18 to 24 months).