merc,
I guess I didn't communicate all of my thoughts completely.
Make sure I don't miss to much (not as condensention, just to make sure I'm not erring on this quick deal).
The company decides one day, hey let's merge both certificates and create one seniority list. Sounds good enough. Then they get real smart and fly an Atlas bird into Japan. Ooops....pissed off the Japanese. We'll just smooth it over, then do it again. Wow!!! They impounded the airplane!! Appearantly the Japanese decided that Polar route authorities must be flown by Polar-operated airplanes, and the brain trust decided to keep seperate certificates (which kinda changes the deal substantially from one combined operation, to TWO airlines, one of which would be easy to spin off).
So, my intent was this: Instead of a intra-union arm wrestling match, why don't OUR MEC's agree to disagree, but instead focus the beating on Purchase? Why don't both of our MEC's went to Purchase to open section 6 together, and chase down two industry leading contracts for the crews? Let's get our scopes, pay and work rules where they need to be, then worry about our internal integration issue. The list is made and done. Whether it is enacted is an academic discussion for another day.
Both contracts should have scope clauses that I previously described. It's not make Polar fat at the expense of Atlas. That was never my intent. We don't compete against each other in the business world, so it's only the company's benefit that we compete in our internal world. That can be done if our MEC's unify and deal with the company first.
The whole "I benefit over you" is complete crap. If I gave the impression that PO should benefit by poaching from 5Y, I was misunderstood. We punch the clock everyday, and we want our employer to be successful and lucrative and keep sending the checks. All the pilots should benefit.
Until the MEC's show leadership on the issue that all the AAWH pilots are looking for the same things (Job security, pay and work rules), and focus their energy on attaining those in contracts and LOAs, I don't see the in-fighting ending. And the more we fight with each other, the more Cato wins.