Originally Posted by
itsme110
So Jim.........in your opinion, what will it finally take to solve the whole issue.
Right now it looks like it will take a ruling by the court to settle the seniority issue. The joint contract is murkier - if the courts ultimately rule for the West, the East theoretically has enough votes to just keep voting down the contract leaving status quo. The big unknown to me, being on the outside, is that I don't know how many on the East side would at least grudging accept the Courts ruling and figure it's time to get a raise.
Question 2.....Of all the parties involved, is there anyone who is motivated to get a deal, and if so, is there enough total motivation on the sum of all parties to do that deal.
A deal on the contract? I don't know - US, and HP before the merger, survive on lower labor costs so I don't think the company is going to roll over and agree to everything the union wants. During media day didn't Parker say that what USAPA was asking for totaled about $600 million a year? Eventually, I do think that enough on the East will get tired of the lowest pay in the industry and put enough pressure on the union to reach a deal that both sides can accept. When "eventually" is I have no idea.
A deal on seniority? Hopes of that ended when USAPA was elected. There is no entity on the West side with the right to represent the West pilots in negotiating a compromise. So it's either the arbitrator's award or USAPA's DOH list. The courts will decide which.
All of that is against the backdrop of a fledgling effort to recall Cleary and another to vote out USAPA. Plus Cleary is getting cozy with the Teamsters so some think USAPA may be folded into the IBT airline division.
Jim