spagiola said:. .. . </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">There is a precedent. When Delta took over Western, all the Western pilots went to the bottom of Delta's seniority list. Long-time captains suddenly became FOs. 15 years later, they are still bitter about it. And as others have pointed out, Delta had little success in operating in the west anyway (though they fared somewhat better than USAir did with PSA, and American with AirCal).</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><a href="http://www.alpa.org/MEC/AAA/docs/newmectoday/arc/airwaves/aw0102/merger0201.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.alpa.org/MEC/AAA/docs/newmectoday/arc/airwaves/aw0102/merger0201.pdf</a>. .. . Delta-Western . .. .The merger representatives for these two pilot groups concluded a seniority integration agreement under ALPA Merger Policy in May of 1987. A series of ratios were used to construct the list according to the following methodology. Positions held by each pilot group were determined as of September, 1986, the month of the merger announcement. Positions were combined based on similar equipment type. The first equipment grouping included only Delta L-1011-500s, because Western did not fly any comparable equipment. The second grouping included Delta L-1011-1s and Western DC-10-10s. The third, fourth and fifth groupings were composed respectively of Delta's B-767s, DC-8-71s, and B-757s, again with no comparable equipment from Western. The sixth grouping included B-727 aircraft from both carriers, and the seventh grouping included B-737s and DC-9s from Delta and B-737s from Western. In order to allow for a more even distribution of Western pilots throughout the list, Western pilots were added to groupings to which Western had not contributed equipment. Because there was uncertainty over whether former Western pilots over age 60 would be provided employment at Delta as second officers, the merger representatives agreed on two lists, one including the older Western pilots and one excluding them. The seniority integration agreement included several conditions and restrictions designed to protect pre-merger flying and expectations. Delta pilots within three years of retirement were protected from displacement by Western pilots to prevent a diminution of retirement income based on final average earnings. European and Pacific flying within the then-current Delta system was reserved for Delta pilots for three years. All West Coast and Hawaii flying as well as new international flying were avail- able to all pilots based on system seniority. The parties agreed as well that the pre-merger Delta pilots would be guaranteed all positions awarded in 1987 on pre-merger or newly delivered Delta aircraft. The parties also provided for the conversion and protection of all positions and entitlements held by pre-merger Western pilots under their previous annual system bids. Pilots from both pre-merger groups were protected in the positions they held at the end of 1987, and could not be displaced by pilots of the other group until July 31, 1990. Until that date, Western pilots were guaranteed at least 1,261 pilot positions at former Western bases, barring circumstances beyond Delta's control.. . . . <small>[ 23 March 2002, 18:15: Message edited by: TR4A ]</small>