ACL: That is what I'm hearing. 8 day lines a month paying nearly 90 hours, if you are senior enough to hold them. Buy rum in duty free and sleep in your own bed.

 

CNBC 07APR08 at 806am:

DAL & NW are talking merger again, this time without it's pilots. That's it! no other details.

 

Squeeze play. They hope that one or both pilot groups will fear arbitration enough to cave on the list. They may be right.

 

Well since arbitration was NWALPA's position in the first place, I don't see how they would now fear it.

 

BOTH sides might fear it because the results are so unpredictable, as we have seen recently. In addition, going to arbitration gives up MEMRAT and any carrots management has neglected to remove from the table. Negotiators always claim that a "fair" arbitrator would surely support their position, but they also conceal their fears, lest they give the other side a bargaining advantage.

 

I would prefer arbitration over NWA's last table position. I am sure however the NWA pilots might prefer arbitration over Delta's last table position. The arbitrator has to apply ALPA's merger policy in constructing a seniority list. It would be wise for all pilots both NWA and DALPA to review that policy.
George

 

Do you feel that the arbitrator followed that policy in the AAA/AWA debacle? Depending on which side you talk to, there seems to be a wide divide on the answer.

 

While what you say holds true for most senarios, I still contend that the NW pilots don't fear arbitration since they are the ones who are advocating for it.

 

What exactly was NWA's last table position? I would like to hear about it, not a rumor of what it was or someone else's interpretation of it. Do you have any factual info on each sides "offers"? I ask this because i havent seen anything and everything i have heard is the exact opposite of what the DAL guys are being told. It gets old seeing that you guys think we want to staple you and we are being told you want to staple us. Which is it? I dont know, as far as i know no one has seen the "real" deal. Until i see it as a published deal and we are supposed to vote on it then its all interpretations of the "deal". Both MECs have kept very quiet on the the actual offers and it would be nice to see more from both MECs presenting info together so we know its really whats being discussed.

 

There has not been a single table position from either side that advocated a staple. Delta's opening position is well know and was put out in a print. It was a basic ratio that kept all pilots at both airlines within half a percent of their pre merger seniority. It included protections for NWA 747 flying however how that would have worked was not out in print.
NWA table positions have not been in print that I have seen. I based my choice on arbitration by talking with a several reps. All gave me about the same info on where I would slot in on the NWA list. The rumors were that NWA opened for a list that was worse then DOH for the Delta pilots. That is a rumor only since NWA did not put out their opening position.
The difference on why one airline would prefer Arbitration over the other airline is quite simple. The airline that has had the most advancement always has more to lose then the airline with less advancement. Its kind of like going in for your flight physical, there is no way you can win, the best you can do is break even.
On the AA/AWA merger if you have not read the arbitrator decision you should take the time to read it. Its long but interesting. He believes he followed ALPA merger policy and explains his reasoning. The first 500 slots all went to USAIR before the first AWA pilot went on the list so it was not all one sided.
George