Rumors Running Again on AA Pilots About JetBlue Merger

[Fubijaakr]

And you don't think combining AA and B6 would be a mistake. It would be a TITANIC mistake and therefore extremely likely.

 

[localizer11]

No one here has heard about Mckaskle Bond? If we merge so be it, but b6 pilots will not be stapled. It will go to an arbitrator, and that person or persons will decide where the b6 pilots are placed in the master seniority list. Since 2001 the general rule has been to place all furloughed pilots below ANY active pilot. The reality of a merged list would likely be b6 captains being merged relative seniority with Americans 737/md 80 captains, and b6 fos being merged relative seniority with Americans md80/ 737 first officers. Unfortunately, much like the am west LCC merger, and the what is likely to come from the ual merger, is that amr/ twa pilots furloughed at time of closing of the deal would be placed at the bottom of the merged list.

If AMR buys Jetblue, JB pilots will be offered a choice:

1) staple at the bottom of AA seniority list.

2) PEA severance package.

Our PEA language does not require an intergration. It's up to the aquiring carrier to decide if they want to merge operations or employee groups. AMR can sign a side letter with APA allowing AMR to operate Jetblue as a wholly-owned subsidiary for 1-2 years. During that time B6 aircraft would be transfered to the AA without the B6 pilots.

Think Bond/McCaskill will save us? Think again. The NMB must rule that AA and B6 are a single carrier to trigger Bond-McCaskilll. AMR/APA lawyers will frame the deal to avoid single carrier status. AA and Eagle are not considered a single carrier by the NMB. JB pilots can't petition the NMB becasue we have no recognized bargaining representative outside of JB management. Bond/McCaskill will not save us.

 

[n757st]

If AMR buys Jetblue, JB pilots will be offered a choice:

1) staple at the bottom of AA seniority list.

2) PEA severance package.

Our PEA language does not require an intergration. It's up to the aquiring carrier to decide if they want to merge operations or employee groups. AMR can sign a side letter with APA allowing AMR to operate Jetblue as a wholly-owned subsidiary for 1-2 years. During that time B6 aircraft would be transfered to the AA without the B6 pilots.

Think Bond/McCaskill will save us? Think again. The NMB must rule that AA and B6 are a single carrier to trigger Bond-McCaskilll. AMR/APA lawyers will frame the deal to avoid single carrier status. AA and Eagle are not considered a single carrier by the NMB. JB pilots can't petition the NMB becasue we have no recognized bargaining representative outside of JB management. Bond/McCaskill will not save us.

Uh huh. Amr would love to lay us all off so they could spend 100 million dollars to train a bunch of furloughed pilots who are all at the top of their pay scales when they have a group of pilots trained, proficient, and ready to go. Oh, and heck, if republic was ruled a single air carrier with frontier then what can they possibly argue to say we are not a single carrier? By then Alpa will be on property, to hopefully fight for our jobs.

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

I think AM and BM sort of stipulate that no furloughed pilot can bump an active pilot.

Poor B6 pilots would get stapled BELOW the TWA furloughees. Yikes.

 

[Fubijaakr]

I think AM and BM sort of stipulate that no furloughed pilot can bump an active pilot.

As the previous poster pointed out, that only comes into play IF the NMB determines they are a single carrier.

 

[SizzleChest]

Uh huh. Amr would love to lay us all off so they could spend 100 million dollars to train a bunch of furloughed pilots who are all at the top of their pay scales when they have a group of pilots trained, proficient, and ready to go. Oh, and heck, if republic was ruled a single air carrier with frontier then what can they possibly argue to say we are not a single carrier? By then Alpa will be on property, to hopefully fight for our jobs.

Republic was single carrier because, among other things, they had the same VP staff on CEO, COO, CFO, HR department, recruiting mechanisms, etc. Many of the management functions were handled by the exact same people. Then you factor in flight schedules, city pairs, etc. and you have a good case for single carrier status. That was how Republic got SCS. If AMR engineered it remain mostly separate and duplicated, B6 would not get SCS.

 

[n757st]

Republic was single carrier because, among other things, they had the same VP staff on CEO, COO, CFO, HR department, recruiting mechanisms, etc. Many of the management functions were handled by the exact same people. Then you factor in flight schedules, city pairs, etc. and you have a good case for single carrier status. That was how Republic got SCS. If AMR engineered it remain mostly separate and duplicated, B6 would not get SCS.

Ok, I can see what you are saying... don't agree with it, but I see your point.

Can someone tell me a major airline aquisition or merger within the last 15 years where the pilots were not integrated into a single carrier? -The regionals do not count.

 

[Flyby1206]

A Merger between AA and B6 makes absolutely no sense. The slots divestitures at JFK alone would make the deal unpallatable from AA's perspective,

The DOT looks like they are close to allowing the DAL/US Slot swap in LGA to happen, that would give DAL roughly 50% of LGA slots. If AA/B6 happened that would be about the same percentage. Im not saying it will happen, but I wouldnt rely on DOT to shoot it down or require any slots to be given up.

 

[Fubijaakr]

Ok, I can see what you are saying... don't agree with it, but I see your point.

Can someone tell me a major airline aquisition or merger within the last 15 years where the pilots were not integrated into a single carrier? -The regionals do not count.

These were integrated, but would you like to be involved in ANY of them?

LCC/AWA
AA/TWA
CAL/PeoplExpress
SWA/Morris

And of course....

Look what Republic did to Midwest Express.

I'm fairly confident APA would figure out a way to keep things separate until the B6 planes were gone and the B6 pilots furloughed.

 

[n757st]

These were integrated, but would you like to be involved in ANY of them?

LCC/AWA
AA/TWA
CAL/PeoplExpress
SWA/Morris

And of course....

Look what Republic did to Midwest Express.

I'm fairly confident APA would figure out a way to keep things separate until the B6 planes were gone and the B6 pilots furloughed.

Only one of these was after McCaskle Bond, and that one was done via arbitrator, which would again be required in a merger between B6 and AMR. Midwest was drawn down before the merger even happened, though I agree they got a screw job. I'll say it again, AMR is not going to spend upwards of 50 to 100 million dollars to retrain all their pilots to fly our aircraft when we are already trained and proficient. Despite what AMR pilots think, they don't run the show, Amr executives do and they report to the shareholders. If it makes financial sense to fire all us b6 pilot and pay us at least a year of severance, then maybe they will consider it. I cant think of a senario where that makes any kind of financial sense.