You must have me in mind. We here at UAL, at least the ones I've spoke with, feel that since we MUST merge with a carrier, CAL is hands down, the best dance partner. We are being assessed now for the merger to protect our interest (I think CAL is doing the same). Our interest (UAL) is to dump Tilton and his team of overcompensated managers and to a lesser extent, protect our career expectations. Career expectations mean different things to different people. My sense is that no matter how much Merger legal talent we hire to protect our (UAL and CAL) respective interest, it will land in arbitration where a neutral party, with no axe to grind, will decide how it will be done. In other words, we are all going to have to take a bite of a s#!t sandwich

Well that explains the willingness of senior dirtbags to sacrifice our careers in exchange for a few bucks...don't you just love these kind of people?

It "ain't that good of a job" because *%$@%$!* like you keep selling the JR guys down the river to protect your "good jobs".

I read and understand the argument about the 13 year UAL pilot who had the opportunity to spend a year or two in the left seat and has had 13 years of longevity upset about being put in relative seniority against someone hired at CAL in 2005(me). I understand the argument about the career progression at the end if the UAL 1997 career and the widebody captain spots. If I was that person I'd mention the same things in an argument. My counter would be that us 2005 hires at CAL were holding 737 captain and in my case it would be about 30 years in the left seat vs whatever will play out with this merger. That is a big career earnings difference. While we lack in the widebody count currently, we have new widebody aircraft on order with delivery slots. That is growth and growth in the widebody fleet. You will benefit from all the 787's that will be arriving(at least 50 and probably closer to 100 over the next decade) even if they end up replacing some of the 767-300 like most think will happen down the road.
If we both stood alone, I can honestly say that my career progression would be a lot greater at CAL than it will be with the merger. I do feel as if the combined carrier will be more solid financially going forward than either would be alone. I'm willing to give up a little seniority to work for a true powerhouse on a worldwide scale with more job security(even if that job is in the right seat a decade longer than "expected"). I hope in the end we all accept the outcome of the SLI and move forward rather than do what US Airways has done. Hopefully the new contract will overcome what some may deem as a loss in the SLI.

That's what I said!

No ill will towards anyone personally, but my @ss still aches from the Nicolau Award. And I trust lawyers only a little more than I trust the Sr @ CAL. God help us all.

I'll be the first to admit I am a *%$@%$!*, especially when it comes to #$^&*. Not entirely sure how I've personally "sold any RJ guys down the river". As a life time MIGS, I've never voted for any scope waive, my line has the best that is still enforceable in the industry and I've only voted to ratify one contract in my life time and that was a long time before the first RJ rolled out of the jungle. That one was via an in house union, when you were more than likely not yet learning how to fly. I am always amused at the perception that somehow the realities of the business cycle (and the fact that the airlines just don't need as many pilots and certainly fewer with attitudes) is the fault of the pilots who have jobs in the eyes of those who don't.

Just saying, if it weren't for timing, I'd have done something else. With an attitude like your's, my advice is you should too. You might not be so paranoid if it weren't for the fact that everyone's out to get you.

Sorry, the highlighted is meant to imply that the decision to merge was made by our CEO NOT the employee's. My brain did not send the correct message to my hands that were typing.

Just sayin, I wouldn't be so paranoid if fellow UAL pilots hadn't sold us furloughed guys down the river. See, I've never flown an RJ. And yes, the jobs not that great....hell, you saw to that.

Hmm, I was just wondering...


It has always seemed unfair that a Brand-X pilot, with ten years longevity at his carrier is stapled below a pilot at Brand-Y, simply because Brand-X's management has furloughed the first guy.

It has also seemed unfair that a Brand-Y guy who has a job, could lose it, due to the ebb and flow of recalls and furloughs after a merger.


What if there were two lists? One for bid seniority - essentially ordered by longevity - and another list to be used in case of recall or furlough - ordered by relative position, with furloughees stapled? The competing interests of each pilot are protected - when Pilot X is recalled he enjoys seniority over Pilot Y, but should furloughs return, Pilot Ys job is protected.

Thoughts?

So... rather than an illustration of how I personally have sold RJ guys down the river, you'll just continue to insist that your poor work ethic, your attitude, your inability to see that you choose an over sold career, your lot in life, is STILL somehow my fault.

I'd say if we ever get the chance to fly together, you'll really dislike the job, especially in the weeks and months that follow as you are trying to defend my well documented accusations of your perpetual safety compromising insubordinations.

As of right now, no, CAL pilots aren't being assessed for this merger. This is due to the fact that we had a merger fund of a set amount when all this began. It was mentioned on the latest Town Hall Conference Call that the CAL MEC is discussing putting an assessment vote out to the pilots for sometime this fall in the event that the balance of the fund goes below a certain amount.

Not sure what this fund would be used for at this time and why the balance would be going down since UniCal management has agreed to pay all merger related expenses to UniCal ALPA for the time being.