One is a no brainer- tying SC buckets to overall buckets. The setup now is just terrible.

The other idea is still being worked on and will have to be multiple resolutions- Memrat for MEC leads, committee heads, and National leads. That one will upset the establishment. However, the current process is too removed from the line pilot and needs to be updated.

Bar, I have not seen that documentary, but I actually read some of the research paper as quoted in a journal.

The premise is that beer was much more commonly used in the Middle East than wine. Beer was also more easily brewed, grain was more plentiful than grapes, storage was less difficult... The author believed that anywhere in the Bible where the word "wine" is used, the word "beer" could be just as safely used. The translators apparently used wine over beer because that was what was more available and acceptable in their lives according to the author.

I'd be for that if we then increased the bucket sizes accordingly(you hate me, sorry:D)... but I'd like to see actual "credit" for SC and not just "RAW". That would probably take Sect. 6 to fix, but who knows!

As for more elections... The reps would be further marginalized by removing their BOD vote for Nat'l. officers and their MEC vote for Chairman et al. That would play right into the Carl argument that "reps have no power". Only 28% of pilots voted in the last ATL LEC election, I'm not sure it would make a difference in participation but maybe!

We know pretty much everyone on this board participates (except for the DPA hard-cores who claim ALPA is broken and want no part in participating or fixing it), its the other 72% that don't care.

Some interesting and respectful posts in the last few pages. Glad for the miracle-beer links, but WISH I hadn't followed that Urantia wiki link and got reading lol. And it's nice to see folks have more important convictions than DALPA/DPA ;)

Does anyone have a solid opinion or better yet fact/Solid Contract Interpretation, as to where these returning 150 furlough bypass folks, ranging from #9000-#10,900 seniority, will go? And am I right in reading the contract that they'll be assigned somewhere by the company, but can bid off immediately during the first AE they have, even in training, which it now appears WILL be during their training?

There is a giant chunk of folks in the 9000's, solid 7ER B levels, who can and will cause massive whiplash and ripples to flow down into 737, 320, M88, and 717 depending on how/where they bid... 150 folks returning over the next few months Nov-Feb being assigned 717 then bidding off that and into 7ER B would cause huge pain for those below them.

Thoughts?

They can bid off their recall equipment at the first AE after they are back- no seat lock. However it doesn't work like a displacement- there have to actually be vacancies (or backfilling at the company's discretion). Unless the plans regarding the retirement of the 757 fleet change unexpectedly, I doubt the company will be posting vacancies to any 7erB category anytime soon.

That is certainly not to say that these recalled pilots will not upset somebody's apple cart or move somebody's cheese, I just don't think it will be on the ER.

I was told that although the contract says the company can place them, they will be allowed to bid what they can hold. This will prevent the inevitable movement and training caused my them bidding off at first opprotunity.

I asked this question to the higher ups at the recent base meeting. They said that they will likely offer them DTW 73. They want to minimize having them bid directly off the plane.

That's kind of a representation topic, and maybe it needs to go to the other thread if some of the guys not supportive of ALPA want to have a chance at the this over there.

Assuming they don't, and the same agent, I'd have to ask how you think that would play out, in terms of authority.

Say you pick a really popular guy to be MEC Chairman (75% of participants' votes) that likes a set of tactics we'll call A, the NC is made up of another set of popularly elected guys (~60% of partipants' votes) but that favor tactic B, and you have pretty good reps besides (but at 55% of votes), and they advocate for C. Say for argument's ake they have a majority of reps agreeing with them... who is actually representing the pilots? Wouldn't all three have a credible argument that they have a popular mandate to implement their plan?

Roadkill,
FWIW, the letter I received from Crew Resources shows:

DTW 737, 25 ...A320, 7 ...B 717, 39
LAX 737, 5
NYC 737, 20...MD88, 2...A320, 8
CVG MD88, 1
SLC A320, 5
ATL MD88, 18...B717, 37
MSP MD88, 9

Should be getting a call from CR on the week of the 16 to bid what and where...