Shortly,
Take a "calm pill".
Your statement "...lawyer/judge...warped institutional minds.." is at best a glib and sweeping statement. How many times have actually been in Court or is this opinion formed by watching Court TV?
Apparently 95% of all litigation is settled, so what you say is no revelation. However, to settle you need the consent of the other side and in the circumstance you outlined, the company thinking they may lose, the AOA's no. 1 priority is the 49ers so they will be looking for 49 jobs or compensation. Again, under the circumstances you outlined, the company will have a choice of getting out the chequebook or crossing the court room doorstep. Of course, this applies equally if the AOA thinks that it may lose; one hell of a costs bill could be coming the AOA's way!
No, I do not remember a settlement offer being made by the company. Please refresh my memory; Who made the offer on behalf of the company, and to whom did they make it, and what was in the offer? Why did they not send the offer to every pilot's mail box and allow a reasonable period of time to consider it?
Before you reply, I do not consider a properly constituted offer can come about by a meeting of low level representatives, who apparently discussed all manner of options trying unsucessfully to find some common ground and then Capt. Barley immediately produces a document saying; you turned down this offer!
Finally, who was surprised the "offer"was rejected and name the senior managers who were relieved?
Until you start putting up some facts, I consider your comments to be a regurgitation of sound-bites that you hear on the flight deck, and because you hear them from someone with 4 gold bars they become fact in your own mind.
There is much more to this issue......
Last edited by Liam Gallagher; 1st Oct 2002 at 21:09.