Cactus737,
When lines are drawn then there will never be a solution. Most of you know that the nic award is a deal breaker for a JNC. We have the votes for USAPA and FYI a very large margin to make sure it will happen. Now we can continue the war for the next 2+ years or work to solve it. It is your MEC's approach is not going work. They think MONEY will not cure this. The cards are coming in each and every day this goes on and the time to be realistic is now.
I don't think it's my MEC's approach to BUY anybody, they're simply responding to the desire of the AWA pilots to get an extremely overdue contract. Despite our unused Section 6 rights, we still think the fastest way to money (and most leverage) is through a joint CBA.
BTW - interesting comment about drawing lines in the sand. IMHO - Prater waffling about the award didn't help with that and only drove both sides to their respective corners. Having said that, the only line in the sand I've seen my MEC take is insist upon continuing to abide by the Transition Agreement. Absent viable alternatives offered up by your MEC, we see no reason to change course. It's sort of like when the company decides they don't like part of your contract, and then comes to your MEC for relief. Do you think your MEC should just grant the relief, or should a negotiation ensue?
Meanwhile, your MEC has passed a resolution seeking permanent separate operations, no Nicolau Award (even if with fences), no JNC without immediate pay parity, no travel to PHX for negotiations, and has filed a lawsuit against the AWA MEC. I'm confused as to how you think ANY of those actions aren't drawing a line in the sand. I'm also curious as to how you believe those resolutions will lead to ending the war. Oh, I forgot, your MEC isn't showing up to Rice Committee meetings anymore, which is the ONLY venue in which discussions were being moderated between both groups.
Also, it was interesting to see a former AAA MEC Chairman's comments in a new article stating that resolution between the groups would be difficult because the AWA MEC had good reason to not consider the AAA MEC credible. I can find that quote if you'd like.
As for USAPA, frankly, I think if you had all the cards you needed, you would have filed already while there's still momentum. But hey - maybe I'm wrong. You just have to excuse us for not thinking any of your threats are credible after anymore we've seen you fail to deliver on so many of them.
But I'll tell you what I see with the USAPA path - IF it even materializes as a path: It'll be a total uphill battle for you guys, and not so much for us. We won't pay dues and instead pool our money into busting USAPA via DFR lawsuits and other measures. ALPA will continue to rigorously defend Nicolau even if they're off the property - not so much because they want to hose you, but more so because they don't want there to be a legal precedent set that arbitrator's awards can be set aside. They'll throw alot of resources at that, and they'll probably help us see you fail. Meanwhile, whipsawing begins, nobody gets a raise, and we end up back where we started - with the TA, two contracts, and the Nicolau Award.
Nothing against USAPA guys personally. I respect anybody who works hard selflessly to help better others, and I think that's all the USAPA founders are really trying to do. But I hope you can reasonably understand why the deck is definitely stacked against you and why we consider USAPA a threat to us (although be it an empty threat).
Meanwhile, I haven't received a response as to how you think having AWA pilots take all the furloughs while AAA pilots take all of the upgrades is fair and equitable. It'll be a question the courts will certainly answer IF USAPA ever comes to life, so you might as well start thinking of an answer now.
Meanwhile, if there's a TRUE path to resolution, I'm all ears.
