Things are already getting ugly for them. There are enough people refusing draft and volunteer that it is making their life miserable. Peak will really be a mess if they don't make us happy.

We better have a Deal before Peak.....................we cannot afford to let another Peak pass us by SANS a contract.

They won't make it that long. Peak out in Subic starts in Sep/Oct

Roger that. The Subic boys can bring this company to their knees at the barganing table.

I don't know if I'd go that far. I think they only have 5 airplanes, 1 being a spare. I know it's Asia and all, but the MD's do most of the real work. If it still is going on in a month, I hope the Subic boys have to stand in line to snap it off........

I doubt that, sting it a little, maybe. Its going to take a lot more than just Subic and ANC holding tough. I chatted up my crew last night on the hotel van about everyone doing their job 100%. I was a new hire in 99 after the contract so I watched from the sidelines then and got an education. A lot of the new guys still don' know the history here or what's expected of them. Is it their responsibility to know, yeah, but also ours to bring them along. I got several "I didn't know that"(s) from the S/O. Do your part and educate the folks who need educating....most of them want to be team players.

Well for the first time in what, two years? The company sees itself short of 727 S/Os. Enough to offer up some vacation buyback in October.

It will be interesting to see how this goes.

Last time I checked the 727 S/O's are the only ones holding strong by not picking up the disputed pairings out of open time.

There are a few gone, but most are still there (of course I'll be proven wrong as all the S/O *****s will pick up the open time as soon as I post this message!)

Word must be getting out....the pain is spreading to every crew position!

ANC F/O's usually don't pick them up either.

Yep, I missed the ANC guys.

Anyone who holds down the fort (especially now) has the big picture.

From MEC
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Somebody who knows someone who heard it on "good authority" from somebody who knows a participant at the negotiating table has said that there will "definitely" be an announcement about negotiations today at 1300 MEM time on Friday, August 25 (that's today, and that time is past).

When rumors like that start enjoying a sense of credibility, it can evoke a penchant for sarcasm. But on reflection, it's natural isn't it, that with a paucity of specifics about negotiations for consumption, somebody is bound to fill in the blanks.

Here's something that will hopefully assuage some of the anxiety out there:

1. At this point our negotiators are very reticent about disclosing "progress" piecemeal. The disclosure of a section or portion of a section as "settled" essentially takes it off the table as potential leverage (negotiations 101).
2. Right now, negotiations could run through the weekend. Hotel room reservations have been extended a couple of days.
3. Taken by itself, item 2 might generate its own share of optimistic rumors. Be advised, we have been briefed that among the issues of scope, work rules, retirement and health care, among others, there still exist some big gaps although there has been significant progress. But reasons for true optimism could only really be found in the hearts and minds of senior corporate management and any portals into those environs remain closed to us.

If and when a TA emerges that warrants consideration, let it be a pleasant surprise. In the meantime please understand that there are tactical reasons that you are not reading a step-by-step account of the negotiations.

Thanks for your time.