Originally Posted by
morrisunc
AFL CIO and its affiliate members are starting to pressure the wh over obamacare and their displeasure with its impact on members. I bet the administration will bend over backwards to keep the transportation unions happy over this merger so they can focus on getting them on board with Obama's signature legislation.
Wow, you somehow managed to tie Obamacare into this... I'm impressed.
The fact is that Obamacare already passed, so the administration isn't trying to win anyone over any more. Obama isn't eligible for another term, so I don't see why he would be concerned.
Originally Posted by
morrisunc
I think DOJ's strongest argument is US' advantage fares - they are always very low relative to competitors non stop flights. No doubt these will be eliminated in the merger - however, I don't see a scenario where the unions don't get their way - DOJ will settle.
There is a lot of talk about a potential settlement. My opinion is that if the DOJ had any intention of settling, they would have written their complaint in such a way that their concerns could be addressed. The way it's written as is, I can't think of a way to address their concerns without calling off the merger, or doing something ridiculous like spinning off some assets into a separate airline.