RAT 5 - fair question, what are the "Frenchies" and the American's doing?
Well, the "Frenchies" seem to have their LHR-US operation up and running using mainline crews on presumably mainline T&Cs..no knashing of teeth there.
The US Carriers have yet to start operating US-Europe with non-US labor - I guess we might hear a little knashing of teeth when that gets proposed
Nope, only good old BA, so far, have proposed to exploit Open Skies by recruiting workforce for a parallel operation on lower T&Cs than Mainline.
BA BALPA have negotiated succesfully with the Company over recent years over issues such as Pensions ( I was one of the many who took a hit) and scheduling arrangements...hardly an entrenched workforce. On the other hand BALPA asked for the Openskies pilots to be put on the Master Seniority List and all hell lets loose - who's the Dinosaur, who's entrenched?
Now BALPA may well have handled this badly, and/or had bad advice - we don't know yet, but remember BA management is
still trying to sue BALPA for damaging it's reputation by threatening Industrial Action. Remind me again who were the clowns that brought you the public relations disaster known as T5, BALPA or management?
Is it any wonder teeth are knashing?