It's because Atlas's CBA has the language in it that allows almagamation. Other airlines have better scope/ Mergers & Acquisitions language. The Teamsters' argument is that regular negotiations were already in progress when the southern acquisition occurred, so the almagation/arbitration part of the contract should not apply and traditional (section 6) negotiations should continue. That's what the courts have to decide.
The problem is that if management gets to amalgmate, that language will probably stay in there for the next round of negotations in 10 years.....and then maybe they could be another bankrupt-low paid airline and get to amalgamate again.....and again the next time 10 years after that. I'm sure there will always be such an operator available to acquire in MIA if not CVG. It will keep happening until pilots are replaced by automated drones or an Aribtrator decides to help pilots change it (hahaha yeah right).
This was given to Atlas by an arbitrator in the polar merger CBA, and if we get another arbitrated contract we'll probably get the language again, it'll be an iron ball dragging Atlas Pilots down to the bottom of the industry as long as it's there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atlas Contract
If the crewmembers of the acquired carrier are represented by the Union, then the parties shall on a timely basis begin negotiations to merge the two preintegration collective bargaining agreements into one
2011 Contract | Section 1 (8)
agreement. If a merged agreement has not been executed within nine (9) months from the date that the Union presents to the Company a merged seniority list that complies with the provisions of this paragraph F.2, the parties shall jointly submit the outstanding issues to binding interest arbitration, The interest arbitration shall commence within thirty (30) days from the conclusion of negotiations contemplated by this paragraph, and a final decision shall be issued within sixty (60) days after the commencement of the arbitration.