My posts on this issue were as an example. Even while ATA may have at most 18 years, there are plenty of people at AA who have 20 years and more. In case you did not know, this is who I am communicating with on this AA thread.
ONLY 4 YEARS? Are you kidding me? If someone, my union, came along and stole 4
years of the seniority I worked hard for because the company I worked for merged with another I would be completely pissed. Having to relive the last 4 of my 28 years and know it will NEVER regain my position on the seniority list would not make me happy at all.
Nobody asked the ATA mechanics if the wanted to merge. There was not a questionnaire from the board of directors or a note from the CEO asking for the approval. ATA mechanics were driven to this against their will, and their seniority was taken away from them by their new union. You put a price on justifying the act, but this is something taken away that they can not buy back.
Your question makes no sense. Your original proposal was to staple AT mechanics to the bottom of the SWA list. When you could not get that, you started picking away at years until you got less than what you wanted, but as much as AT was willing to let you steal. Your statement 18 year AT guy is now above a 13-14 year SWA guys seems to be asked with bitterness as if somehow the AT mechanic has inflicted injury to the SWA mechanic. Like I said, AT mechanics were not asked, and at this point, there really is no ATA. You are all SWA mechanics, and the seniority should reflect this in true nature.
amfa wanted to take many more years of seniority than what was eventually agreed on. Why didn't the not so mighty amfa take it to arbitration? For the same reasons the IBT did not. Arbitration would have taken much to long to hear and decide. With a merger looming, it is important to get a combined contract quickly in order to offer protections for both groups. The Teamsters knew this and did not want to jeopardize future negotiations. At the same time, the mechanics at ATA were absolute in their desires to come to an agreement as soon as possible in order to take advantage of SWA's higher rate of pay.
You assume the IBT would have lost in arbitration, but I know that there are no sure things in any legal setting.
Let's start at the beginning.
Airtran mechs voted overwhelmingly to trade raises for 4 years seniority. Argue with them about it.
Second, if my question makes no sense to you it is YOUR premise.
You said Swa mechs want 5 years mechs to stand over 20 year employees. Shameful you said. You made that statement not me and it was clearly not the truth.
Third, you do not know what I wanted in a SLI deal.
I wanted 3 years to match the pilots deal.
When the IBT lawyer wanted DOH and a bunch of protections and fences that we would not accept, of course our negotiators went higher.
Forth, you said with a merger looming it is important to get a combined contract quickly to protect everyone.
Ok, then why did the Ibt refuse to respond to us for the first 9-12 months after the merger was announced and why did they stall the process all the way to the company imposed deadline if it is so important?
The Ibt acted like children and would nor even return phonecalls.
It took their own members complaining to get them to answer the phone.
You don't have a clue to how the teamsters lawyer handled this.
He was out matched, threw tantrums, put on a show and then caved.
Fifth, after the dispatchers arbitration ruling, everyone knew the IBT would lose in arbitration also.
We also got a laugh reading the teamsters try to spin the deal into something positive.
You apparently will believe anything they say.
The Airtran guys would have gotten their raises quicker if the IBT had not stalled for so long.
In the end the IBT lawyer got absolutely nothing he wanted. They got the deal we put on the table.
So much for the superior Ibt negotiators.