You're kidding, right? It's called "no windfall" Take, for example an exteme case: Large widebody-flying, well compensated, superior contract pilot group "A"What does the condition of the airlines in the merger have to do with how one pilot group integrates another into its ranks?
(but RELATIVELY junior) merges with equally large (in numbers of pilots), low paid, in bancruptcy, commuter pilot group "B" (but RELATIVELY senior). Would DOH or even relative SLI not result in a huge windfall for group "B"? When an SLI is negotiated, it means just that-NEGOTIATED-not tied to any specific DOH or relative methodology. That is why all factors come into play, including payrate/contract/expectations disparity. Otherwise, what would there be to negotiate? That is why there are no "hard" or "set" rules for SLI, they could never cover all the possibilities that might arise in any given merger. And, I might add, this would be true even if there were a "national seniority list" (look at the example above)