Really? The Delta contracts didn't have anything to do with it? How about the merger? How about the Delta pilots voting no on their recent TA1? ALPA E&FA? The ALPA AFL-CIO affiliation or ALPA Governmental Affairs? The NMB? The Colgan families? Lower fuel prices?

Aren't you a rep & shouldn't you know this? The industry landscape will always present challenges and opportunities that are external to, but affect negotiations. What's important here is that United pilot negotiators still have to show up at the table aware of external risk, and ready to capitalize on externally created opportunity.

Hardly the best contract ever and why on earth do we always rely on some other Pilot group, (see Delta), toeing the line while we cling to coat tails and vote yes at every turn? We had a chance to lead the industry when we merged but were so busy tripping over each other to "get the deal done" and stop those seat stealing CAL scum that we settled AGAIN. There are so many holes in our current CBA that could have been plugged but once more we caved and settled for much less than we should have supposedly all in the name of moving on.

Pathetic at best.

Admittedly its still early in the year, but I'd like to highlight the above post and hoist it into the spotlight. I think it just might wind up being the post of the year. Unfortunately, far too many worship the hourly rate alone, and never stop to consider the value of powerful contractual language. Language which our recently retired pilots enjoyed in the past (while they were getting paid soft time, or enjoying more time off at home, or on vacation, etc). Unfortunately, that language was discarded considered as by-catch. Much to the glee of Willis and the board.

Duplicate post...please delete.

Maybe if the scummy behavior wasn't present, I would have voted no. I was a UAL guy flying on the CAL side out of EWR. Unity was on nobody's radar at the time.

Spilled milk right now.

So you voted Yes to spite those rotten CAL scum? Bizarre. In essence you voted in a inferior contract for the sole purpose of sticking it to the other Pilot group. Does the term short-sighted mean anything to you?

As you point out it is spilled milk but for the love of god, please keep it in your memory bank. There's no reason to ever do that again and why we did it in the first place is beyond me.

That's been the crutch of our generation for years. Shiny pay rates supplemented with increasingly poor language. Ask the American guys about that. Pay rates are easy to regain while language never is.

Can you give us your list of contractual language improvements that you would require to vote yes on the next UPA?

A 2 party negotiation would have netted a better agreement. SLI should have been done first.