I love how so many people say the union was not responsible for crappy seniority list integration. Who is responsible for maintaining and protecting our seniority? The company? No, it is our union who we pay dues to. With that in mind, what do arbitrators use to make their decision? If ALPA had a set method down, that was legally binding-that is what they would have to use. Yes, they would take factors into account but in general it is ALPA's policies and past that dictates an arbitrators actions. Like any judge-they do not like to set precedent on every new case they work on, they USE precedent to make their decision. With that in mind-The Pinnacle Arbitrator did not have even close to all the information to make a SOUND decision. So the Q captains with half the longevity of that of the Pinnacle captains and Mesaba captains were put senior even though they were operating under a losing contract that was bound to fail. Same for the 9E CRJ 900's. That being said, he also did not take into account the expected demise of the entire 200 fleet (it was not a plan published but anyone with a little education and fore thought could see it coming). Also, there was no effort into creating job saving fences for our first officers at Pinnacle and Mesaba for now with the loss of the Q's, those captains can come and take their jobs.
I know what your response will be, in effect it will say you do not care about the FO's (and apparently neither did ALPA). Imagine if you were an FO, and barely over 1500 hours and without the merger or even a merger with fair fences you could keep your job for a couple more years (until the 200's all go) and by that time you will have well over 1500 hours, an ATP and everyone was hiring. Oh and about the argument, its not ALPA's fault-you are mistaken. A merger policy or at least not employ idiots to do the merger would be a lot better policy.
*notice how I did not rant about my situation as much as I could have. I am a lot more concerned with the pilots that will lose their jobs two years before I do when no one is hiring. I am hoping to hold on to mine until everyone is hiring and move on as soon as I can.