Seems like a well orchestrated chess game. AA&US management were in bed all along. US/DL LGA/DCA slot swap (DOJ would have never approved the deal with AA @ JFK and US @ LGA), US becoming an insignificant member of STAR, both AA & US dragging their feet w/ negotiations, AA's bankruptcy and AA's offer to APA (knowing well that APA would never accept).

If US would have come out and asked for a merger-the unions would have cried bloody murder. But let AA offer them a crappy contract and they'll go running to US.

The APA letter makes the US management look like a knight in shinning armor, but ignore their treatment of their own pilot groups. IMHO US&TWA guys are gonna get the short end of the stick on this deal ... again.

my2cents

I wonder if maybe this is a little too clever? All of it assumes AMR sits on their hands, and the judge does very little.

One article raised the question of a conflict of interest between serving on the cerditor's committee, and having a deal with a third party. An interesting thought.

Probably not...if a merger ever happens, the Nic is the legal precedent on the US side, USAPA will be DOA, and the APA will be the collective bargaining agent.

It's not Delta +3%

Wait a minute---what if Nicolau is null-and-void since never implimented, and a new agreement between HP-US-AA is reached? Isn't that a possibility?

Likely not considering that was done through binding arbitration.

No. APA will take over and when it does it inherits all previous agreements including the Nic.

I don't believe that's correct. I believe that question will be up to a court to determine. Please post the relevant portions of case law or the Nic award itself that precludes a court from deciding this issue of a non-implemented seniority list.

Carl

Carl, usairways in court says the nicolau award was inherited by usapa just like all other contract provisions. What part of a successor union inherits all agreements under the rla don't you understand?

The question of "inherit" will almost certainly be litigated as there is no prior law on this very unusual circumstance. Until it's adjudicated, probably best to stay clear of the predictions as to what will happen.

Carl