can i get a tl;dr version?

The past several years, have resulted in prolonged, unrelenting stress for the USAirways pilot group. Meanwhile, available sick days as well as vacation time, which should be increased as a coping mechanism, have been instead reduced. While stress is a process used to cope with the normal challenges in life, numerous medical and psychological studies have suggested that lingering, inordinate amounts of stress can have devastating effects on the psyche as well as the body. Studies show prolonged stress hormones can actually cause shrinking in the hippocampus. There are four known major sources of stress. Frustration is stress due to situations in which the pursuit of a goal is thwarted. Frustration comes from the loss of something once considered a part of life. Conflict is another recognized source of stress. Studies have indicated that the more conflict a person experiences, the greater the likelihood for anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms. A third source of stress is change. The changes that result in noticeable alterations in one's living circumstances, requiring life adjustments are particularly stressful. Psychiatrists Holmes & Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) to measure life changes. They found that while big changes like death of a loved one are very stressful, small life changes have tremendous effects. Using the SRRS, studies have indicated that people with higher scores tend to be more vulnerable to many different physical and psychological illnesses. Finally, the fourth source of stress is pressure which comes from expectations that one must behave in a certain way. All stress leads to impaired task performance resulting in increased distractibility and over thinking on tasks that should be automatic.
No matter which side one is on in this seniority dispute, I think that we can agree that the America West pilots miscalculated the USAirways pilots resolve. They felt that the pay disparity would push the USAirways pilots to accept the Nicolau Award. The USAirways pilots will never agree to the Nicolau Award. The longer that this civil war lasts, the more irreversible damage is done. USAirways continues to operate in this unsafe atmosphere at not only its own financial peril but with a clear and present danger to its passengers. This is a textbook case of what happens when a labor group is pushed too far. Sadly, it is too late; the damage is done but perhaps measures can be taken that will at least prevent more damage to the pilot group and this company.
I think it ill-advised for anyone to gloat over a situation that is so potentially deadly.

I'll call your bluff on this one.

You have responsibilities as a crewmember not to operate an aircraft if you feel you are too stressed out to do it safely. If you're going to throw the safety card down to justify an (ineffective) approach to having a SLI overturned, you need to consider all the implications. The most obvious in this case is that you're obviously not safe to fly, either because a) you're right, and therefore you are too stressed out to fly, and must remove yourself from the cockpit; or b) you're going along with this "unsafe atmosphere at not only its own financial peril but with a clear and present danger to its passengers", in which case your judgment is severely flawed, and you need to be removed.

But that's not what's going on here, is it? You offer this sadly conflicted way out:

"...Sadly, it is too late; the damage is done but perhaps measures can be taken that will at least prevent more damage to the pilot group and this company..."

Riiight. The damage is done, but perhaps... if you got some more seniority... it would be "undone".

No, the America West pilots calculated that the US Airways pilots would live up to their agreements and abide by a final and binding arbitration. They also calculated that no group would try to hijack their union and abandon any pretense of representing one third of their pilot group. They also calculated that a union would not be so stupid to sue their own pilots under the RICO act, which was created to stop the Mafia, because they called the union hotline 15 times a day. No one calculated that after three years a union would have no accomplishments other than a rash of lawsuits. No one calculated that the union would ignore the needs of their pilots so badly that COMPANY MANAGEMENT would have to step in and sue the union to get them to do their job. You know your union sucks when management calls the "mercy rule" on you and takes you to court to make you represent your pilots.

This meltdown is just a symptom of a group that abandoned any values other than self interest. While they had a boogy man of the "Westies" they could stay together, but eventually the value deficit shows through and this is what you end up with.

Binding

–adjective
6.
that binds; restrictive.
7.
having power to bind or oblige; obligatory: a binding promise.

Nicolau warned the East merger committee that the DOH proposal wasn't going to go in their favor, they needed to be more flexible and submit something else for his consideration. In total arrogance, the East merger committee refused to submit a different final proposal. The rest is history... :rolleyes:

A report/update from Cactiboss regarding USair east & USAPA is like a report from Racheal Maddow/Keith Olberman on the Tea Party.

I suppose that the west pilots could act like parents who capitulate to the tantrum engorssed infants who intend to throw their strained beets across the kitchen (now it appears even at each other) until they get their way, but what will that solve ?

The fact is, the east pilots selected a path by their own choice and knew the risks. Now, it's implied that if the infants don't get their way soon, one or more may go postal and do something spectacular and external "stress" is to blame and is the responsibility of others.

Baloney.

This type of infantile behavior is the responsibility of the infants and no one else. Parker would be best to cut this from the company, even if it takes a BK situation to do it. He should be considering this situation to be intolerable and unacceptable. Parker needs to be a CEO and take back control of the business.

Yes, it appears they were predisposed to selfish infantilism prior to the award.

This is the FACT that the East conviently likes to deny and sweep under the rug, along with the actual Nic Award.

I have no dog in this fight, but I sure hope that the East gets what they deserve. Grow up.