Densoo and company, Merger or no merger, weight and not # of seats has been the cornerstone of UALMEC's policy when determining pilot compensation for ages. Much like any other concession (banding payrates in this example), and just like CALMEC's wish to get back everything it gave up to CAL in your agreement to avoid BK, so too is the UALMEC's desire to reclaim what it gave.
Since it appears that you might be clueless, UAL BK CBA became amendable December 31 2009 well before the merger announcement. Negotiations for a new contract began even earlier ( 9 months prior) in April 2009, and continued in earnest up until the merger announcement. As was the case with CAL in its negotiations leading up to the merger announcement, UALMEC made it very clear what its objectives were in those negotiation, and unbanding payrate for the 747 was publicly stated priority. So your idea of "timing" is delusional and pathetic at best, and create empty shells for those who wouldn't know better than to start wailing foul.
Do I expect you to know the details of the UAL's negotiations prior to the merger announcement? No, much like I don't know the details of Continental's but as the bright person you are, I'm sure you will acknowledge the fact that CALMEC (post-merger announcement) expectations haven't change (adjusted downward) from what it was during your pre-merger negotiation of your amended 9/11 concessionary agreement. So why should UAL's expectations change? Fact is the B747's are on the property and should be unbanded just as the rates for the A350 and Dreamliner.
Advocating for the devil, doesn't your present agreement include unbanded rates (separated from the smaller B737) for the larger B737? I could be wrong but even SWA thinks it's important to negotiate different rates for models larger than the 700. Dude your job is to fly it. The company pays huge sums of money to other individuals to figure out how to squeeze every cent of revenue by properly implementing it.
Remember if these negotiation fail to make progress by some date in the future both groups revert back to negotiating their own CBA. I guarantee you UALMEC will still be after unbanding the equipment it operates or intend to operate.
The few of you on here like yourself, AWACoff, whatsitdoing,and Flop truly give light to that age old fable of the dog with a bone in his mouth crossing a river and looking over to see another dog with a bone, his refection in the water, and what does he do?
Think of raising the earnings potential of this profession instead of dropping the bone as it's being robbed from under your nose by your refection...
