This from the NC via email today:

This TA did not give away any hard limits. On the contrary, TA Section 1 has the first hard limit on wet leasing: during any bid period in which Section 4.A.2.c. is implemented. This limit ties our protections in Sections 23 (Furlough) and in 4.A.2.b. and c. to wet leasing. When coupled with the new SAM (System-Wide Average Metric) definition that decreases the likelihood of entering 4.A.2.b. and c., we have improved Section 1 with real job protections.

From the TA:

10. Except for a wet lease to be performed between November 15 and the last day of the December bid period, the Company shall not extend, renew, or enter into any new Section 1.B.6. wet lease agreements during a bid period in which Section 4.A.2.c. is implemented except as agreed to by the Association.
11.Should the Company issue a non-voluntary furlough notice pursuant to Section 23.A., all Section 1.B.6. wet leases shall be subject to a penalty of one SPR for every wet lease block hour flown thereafter until all pilots have reported for duty from a recall notice (or declined recall) or the last furloughed pilot ceases to accrue longevity as provided in Section 23.A.4., whichever is earlier. This penalty is in addition to any penalty required by Section 1.B.6., however, in no event shall the total penalty exceed 2.5x SPR per block hour wet leased. Before the end of the first quarter of each fiscal year, penalty payments due under this provision shall be distributed on a per capita basis to pilots who were on furlough when the penalty accrued.

Maybe I'm just missing the "Hard limits", but all I see is a prohibition against extending, renewing or entering into any new wet lease contracts during 4.A.2.c. I see no 'hard limits' and I'm pretty sure a second-year law or business student could figure a way to have a flexible long-term agreement written prior to entering 4.A.2.c... Rich was pretty condescending when asked a similar question during the road show and he talked about 'hard limits' and the NC email said they have 'hard limits', but for the life of me, I don't see it. Someone please help me connect the dots. Also, even if guys are furloughed the Company can STILL wet lease from Nov 15th through the end of December, so at most it's a 'soft limit' if you even call it a limit.

 

Section 1 was quickly TA’d. My guess is they didn’t think this would be an issue. Now that it is, it’s pi**ing them off. I enjoyed hearing Rich get angry. They know they have a scope problem on their hands and it’s probably going to cost them their position in the union.

 

Rhetorical question: How often do negotiating committee members end up in management positions?

 

What are you talking about? Section 1 was the last section TA’d before we entered mediation. I guess you and I have different definitions of ‘quickly’.

 

I believe it took 9 passes to become the steaming pile of ____ that it now is.

 

Yeah - so it’s quite inaccurate to say that it was TA’d quickly.

If only there were an easily accessible resource where people could look this stuff up before spouting nonsense.

 

“this TA has the first hard limits.”
essentially, the whole bit about no new contracts etc when in 4a2bc.

they also stated that history is binding in grievance and arbitration, but … THE LANGUAGE CHANGES IN THIS TA! The NC may firmly believe this, but a judge may and most likely would see it differently. These guys are blind and quite frankly clueless as to the possibilities this TA opens up for the company. It’s freaking unbelievable. Don’t tell us what you think it means, get that $hit in writing!!!

 

rhetorical answer.

 

9 passes? I’m curious what the company initially asked for. 💩

 

company: we want unlimited wetleasing with no restrictions.

NC: sure no problem, but we have to make it at least look like we tried. How should we do that?

company: okay we’ll just cut the wet lease penalty down to almost nothing.

NC: okay sounds good, you’re gonna hook us up
with that pension increase right?

company: yeah, but only once then the A plan is going away. And it’s not gonna keep up with inflation or even get close.

NC: okay fine.

company: oh and we want concessions in all of these other sections. Gotta finance those minimally increased pay rates too… you know we can’t actually increase the cost of pilot compensation to the company, that would make the shareholders upset and they’d cut our bonus.

NC: fine, but you have to help us come up with some elaborate sales material to help sell this to the pilots, they almost caught on in 2015, this time they might catch on to us before the vote closes…

company: done deal. We’ll put our best men on it.