"Wide range of reasonableness" <---SCOTUS standard of fair representation.
Essentially. Any plan that reasonably passes the sniff test by an outsider will probably pass muster. That could be anything from DOH to straight relative seniority, plus any conditions and restrictions.
Two court rulings have now shown that this is an internal union issue, and that they have rather wide latitude to resolve as they see fit.
Will someone sue? definitely, but what this has done is set the bar rather high for any suit to succeed. Under the SCOTUS interpretation, just sitting in the seat you had might be considered reasonable, without ANY regard to anything else.
Besides, the East side has already "won", in a manner of speaking. They've gotten essentially a 5 year fence that's lasted this long, and is bound to continue, at least for the short term.
Even coming to a different SLI solution won't help at this point, because SOMEONE will sue over it, and thus delaying any integration for another 24-36 months.
Since no bump no flush continues to be the one constant, it is very unlikely that anyone on the East side will get displaced by any SLI as they move into positions that are vacated by the East's large wave of retirees. It is VERY unlikely that a judge anywhere is going to displace current seat holders...there simply is no precedent for it.
Really the only thing left is to cut a deal, gain SOMETHING out of the SLI and a pay raise, and quit swinging for the stands. Otherwise the East will still have their "fence", which, really, is all they wanted in the first place.
Nu