Sli At Republic/frontier
 

Gents,
Is there any word on the SLI at republic / frontier? Has is gone to arbitration? What are all the groups feeling about how it is shaping up? How slow is the process taking? When is the planned date to release SLI? Are there plans to fence off the Aribi? DOH or relative sonority, or some combination? Hoping all involved get a fair deal.
Best of luck and thanks for the info
-Aloha

The presentations in front of the arbitrator have been going on this week, and should be concluded by the end of the week. Originally these presentations were to have wrapped up in March, but the various parties took more time than planned cross-examining each others' witnesses and this second week was needed. Once the presentations are done, the arbitrator will take about 60 days to release his verdict, though it could be longer or shorter at his discretion.

As for opinions, the rank and file pilots don't have any real opinion because all parties signed confidentiality agreements. No one outside of the integration committees knows what is going on or what has been said, so you really need to disregard any rants about unfairness or entitlement until the award is published. Once the arbitrator gives his award, the positions and requests of each union will be made known, and we can finally begin to see how reasonable or unreasonable our particular representatives were. Even then, it is quite likely that each side probably asked for more than is fair, but that is just part of the game.

As for the integration particulars, only the arbitrator knows what he thinks is fair. The aforementioned confidentiality agreements keep us from knowing if fences were asked for during negotiations or the subsequent arbitration. The same applies to methods of combination. Regardless of what each side asked for (an unknown until a decision is rendered), the arbitrator will do what he thinks is appropriate. DOH, relative seniority, furlough vs. active status, equipment fences, base fences, rebidding of equipment... all of that is in the hands of one man now.

Now, I said to disregard all opinions, but I will offer this one anyway. I hope the arbitrator is painfully explicit in his judgment, and that he spells out exactly how determining basing and equipment will be handled, because Bryan Bedford and Wayne Heller have proven time and again that they will exploit any ambiguity in wording for their benefit. Right now we have a fairly major grievance that the union won, but the company is now disputing the award saying that they interpret the judges award differently than the union does, and therefore they have not complied with the award. If a comma is in the wrong place, the just application of the new SLI could be messed up for years.

Rumor from the streets is it was supposed to end yesterday and be in the arbitrator's hands...but my friend says it was held up and was ****ed that it might end up being screwed up bit wouldn't go into and more detail.

It appears one of the four groups is delaying the process by conducting a long and drawn out cross examination of witnesses. The process was not finished this week and will be continued at some future time. The last time it took 2 months to get the current round of discussions scheduled due to the schedule of the arbitrator.

Plan on another two months before they meet again.

Exactly. 2.5 months to get back into the arbitrators schedule. Plan on not seeing a ruling by the arbitrator before Halloween.

Might as well just break out the STAPLER, because apparently one group does not want to cooperate with one seniority list. They'd rather have a whipsaw.

Seriously? [edit: deleted insults] Thank you.

Did you ever think that maybe the parties involved in this SLI might actually have valid concerns and questions, and may exercise their legal right to question the witnesses presented by the other unions so as to make sure there is no misrepresentation or omission of information? Everyone is presenting the best case they can. No one pilot group is dragging their heels, and though the pace is frustrating, everyone involved should be pleased that everything is being put on the table to serve their particular interests. This is a very complex and unprecedented integration. If there was an quick and easy solution, it would have been arrived at during negotiations. That said, if this round of hearings has wrapped up and there is still more to be heard, then I am a little upset at the arbitrator for not dictating a more rigid timetable. But that is his fault, and not the fault of a single pilot in this debate.

Arbitrator gets paid every time he hears facts of a case...right?

Why set a "more rigid timetable" if the clients want to drag their feet and pay you more money?

Depending on how the arbitrator gets paid, having it drag out may be to his advantage financially. If it continues to drag out the RAH pilot group is status qou and Frontier guys stay put.

Midwest pilots all furloughed, advantage RAH pilots, Lynx shutting down, advantage RAH pilots.

I hear what your saying Rightseat Ballast and I make no predictions about the outcome but despite the confidentiality agreement word is getting out about the process, drag on it will.

Republic finished thier arguments, you can point your finger at your brothers at FAPA