Mediation
 

Thoughts???

Consistent with our focused agenda and timeline, a unique opportunity exists under the RLA that offers expedited mediation. To be approved for expedited mediation, both parties are required to first jointly file for mediation with limited open items. Expedited mediation is relatively obscure under the RLA, but we believe our bargaining to be well-situated for such a process. We have broached this subject with the Company and await their decision.

I like that it basically forces the company to show their hand, at least initially, of whether they want to get a deal done sooner than later. If they don't agree they are basically admitting to us, the NMB, and the world that they want to drag this out.

Exactly. Call their bluff. I like the move.

EXPEDITED Mediation
 

EXPEDITED MEDIATIONThe first distinction between mediations and expedited mediation is that while either party can request mediation, BOTH parties must request expedited mediation. The Company has claimed to be interested in a timely conclusion of negotiations, even as they have employed their usual tactics to stall, delay, and drag their feet. This is an opportunity for them to display their true intentions.

Other differences:

• All parties must agree to the expedited process
• Intensive mediation over limited time with a set of aggressive mediation sessions
• Negotiation of a joint protocol agreement to establish what, when, where and how long
• Limited number of issues to be discussed
• NMB must believe that there is a high probability of success
• Availability of NMB Mediator
• Parties retain right to seek self-help
• NMB continuous oversight
• If no Agreement is reached, the NMB still retains its discretionary rights to determine how to proceed with the mediation case

.

United Airlines flight attendants represented by the Association of Flight Attendants used Expedited Mediation with United Airlines in 2011-12. It took 6 months.

We've lost peak, and pilots will continue to retire with 1998 pensions.






.

+1 Glad our Union called the companies bluff and put them on the spot.

Mediation
 

How many open sections and what were they? We have perdiem, payrates, retirement, and duration. So it may not be a direct comparison. But it is a shame that pilots continue to retire under current retirement rules.

There is a simple fix for this. No agreement is signed unless everyone that retired since the amendable date is included in the new retirement.

It's kind of like the retro pay/signing bonus. We fix the retirement for those that were forced to retire while the company dragged its feet.

No one left behind. Let's see if the union leadership will support the rank and file like they should.

I think it’s a real stretch to expect this. We’ve never even had a fair retro pay. There hasn’t been an increase to the retirement since 1998 because WE(can’t blame it all on ALPA) keep voting for contracts that don’t include it. This includes everyone that has left since amendable date.

It may be a 777 fleet thing, but I’ve flown with captain after captain over the past year + who has said, “I’m out of here in a year, I’ve given the union my dues for XX years and I’m going to make as much as I can make before I’m out.” The last guy I flew with had 160CH on his calendar at STRAIGHT time. If any seat could have flown their line and rapidly made a difference in this fight, it is M77C. These guys had the seniority to sell back vacation, bid to conflict, a number of ways to squeeze that the junior guys don’t. Although I understand some do not fairly represent all, I don’t think we should be spending negotiating any negotiating capital on people who missed the cut off. Many of them got more in draft pay that the increased pension(if we get it) would have paid them anyways.

And again for the record, it’s not all of them. Some are super stand up people.

I like the move to mediation. Let's just keep moving down the RLA flowchart, not stopping for months just waiting for the best deal. Let's go grab it.