You were looking for a date.
Lets say I go to a store that has a 90 day return policy. On Jan 1st I buy a very nice 48" LCD TV, and bring it home for a superbowl party. I invite over friends, watch the game and on Feb 28th return the TV, and get my money back. The next day, March 1st, I buy another one, that I return on April 30th. May 1st, I buy another, keep it until July, and again get my money back.
Have I ever "stolen" the TV? Does the store ever have the right to deny me a sale? It is clear I am improperly getting the use of the TVs without paying for them, my only cost is no interest on my money that I am letting the store hold, instead of the bank, while I use their TVs and greatly decrease their value. I am exploiting the stores return policy in a mannner in which it was not intended.
In the same way, by delaying joint contract implementation, usapa is exploiting the operational pilot integration clause of the TA. But on what day do they actual "steal" West pilot jobs?
In my example with the TVs, I would say I "stole" the TV on Jan 1st, the day I first implemented the return scam.
With regards to usapa, It is a little harder to put a date on it. Was it during the campaign? Was it the election date? Was it when the east walked out of joint contract negotiations? Was it when West pilots started getting furloughed out of seniority order because of seperate ops?
But you asked on what date would a joint contract that would have implemented the Nic award been ratified by the pilot group. Tough question, impossible to answere really. Because the east keeps returning the arbitrated award, using their majority status to get their money back. Eventually, the store (the court) is going to inform usapa that while they sat at home enjoying their TV(seperate ops), the return policy was changed to 30 days and they bought the TV(the Nic).
