Cacti, you do a lot to hurt your own cause. No one will rally around your position when you're openly hostile. At the end of the day, you're still all at the same airline. Your efforts would be better served by showing what improvements you want to the contract and how that matches the east goals as well.:p

Nu Guy
Everything that you suggested is classic rational choice, and at the very least a great starting point for both sides. I can only hope that enough time has passed that the majority can put emotions aside and that a compromise can be found. Unfortunately,I think that the possibility of a merger and the lengthy wait for the Phoenix Declaratory Judgment fed into the stubbornness of only Nic or only DOH.A reasonable discussion did not seem imperative because the problem would somehow be solved by outside factors. I have read the Phoenix Declaratory Judgment in its entirety several times. I believe that the NMB is going to be forced to unpark negotiations. Of course, a "self help" stage is completely out of the question because as management well knows, the West have said that they will cross the picket line. Still, a lot more damage can be done- to the pilot group and to the company. It is in the best interest of all sides to come up with something that while not perfect, sucks a lot less. I know a lot of pilots are banking on a merger. First of all, while a merger might be a good thing, the USAirways pilots need to negotiate a contract of their own, including provisions for a merger,with their own profitable company. Second, this merger is only a possibility but it is also a FUTURE possibility. If Parker negotiates the USAirways pilot contract via another pilot group, do we simply trust that other people will look out for our best interest? As bad as the Nic/DOH scenario is, scope clauses could be written that would make the harm from the Nic or DOH pale by comparison. The Phoenix Declaratory Judgment, coming out now before a merger is a window of opportunity that must not be missed by BOTH pilot groups.

Cactiboss- not to belabor the point. Let's assume that I respect what you just said. You should know that the East feel that they spent 23 YEARS saving their seniority list and that the Nic in its present form is so egregious that it totally negates all of those years. But again, I don't want to argue the point. I am simply, once again, reaching out to you, trying to help you to consider(not understand) a stance that you have chosen to totally underestimate. I am not suggesting that you AGREE with me.However, I want you to know that while we don't agree, I do understand how you feel. Furthermore, if we were to meet on the street, not knowing our geography, we would agree on so much more than we disagree. We are now at a crossroads. We can all grab each other by the neck and pull each other down a road that is certain ruin - or we can choose to take a path that ensures our survival. Make no mistake, it is a choice- today.

Funny that we are at a "crossroads" as usapa is choking the life out of us it is so kind as to offer us a "deal" to take just a little bit less than everything. Very kind of you guys.

Not about being kind. This is about survival- for both of us.

Survival and good contracts come from unity, one group decided they didn't need it.

NO. Survival is to continue on, even through hardships; to persevere. The expectations of the past no longer exist for either side. The validity of the claims of either side no longer matters. There can be no unity amongst a group who see another pilots loss as their gain. But for the sake of everyone,get over it or get out of the way.

Any news, rumours, or rumours of rumours?

No contract negiotations are scheduled.

Hopefully they will be soon. This east west stuff makes for a good read. I feel bad for the AA pilots being stuck with Horton Hears a Who.