Way too much assumption on your part! And whether you are an Encore pilot who directly benefits from this or a union guy that concocted this whole thing, it matters not. Just as it matters not who is the buyer and who is seller in a merger once common employer is declared. It will be decided by the forces of the industry and no one can stop it. And no one at Sunwing cares about Dash8 seats as you say, especially the poor contract that comes with it, because of the PTA! Ironic!Vanguard wrote: ↑Fri Mar 18, 2022 9:09 am Relax mate. I never said I was the Vanguard of the WJ pilots. Obviously I can't reveal who I am for obvious reason.
Honestly, if you're gonna show attitude...lets be quite clear. SWG got bought by WJ. Not the other way around. Obviously if there is to be a merger we would want to see it done properly and fairly. You guys and gals just recently signed a 10% discount on WAWCON so to come in with that attitude isn't the nicest thing. You're getting a major pay raise & job security. 20% ESP to your 7% after 7 years. You're bringing us some business but we are a network. You may also get to fly some nice new aircraft in your career ahead. Lets all play nice.
As far as Encore goes. We do understand with SWG merger it could get complex. The PTA may have to go however keep in mind while the PTA is active and lets say SWG merges. You would also have access to a position on the Dash8 if there was ever another downturn. It's easy to look at things from one angle, know that you would have to do more research. The sentiment of our group doesn't get represented by ALPAPolicy aka J. Swallow. Thats all I want people here to understand. This will eventually fizzle out as lots of noise.
Because it benefits most folks in WestJet, there should be a bias towards merging the lists based on DOH and also because it results in most natural “fences” and most protection for everyone to maintain status, pay and in most cases base.
To merge based on DOH, WestJet MEC will have to present a list that is based on DOH which means a pilot who is on 2nd year pay could only have 2 years seniority, not a few more from a previous company. So unless WestJet agrees to common employer status with Encore, which has virtually zero chance based on reasons mentioned before, its pilots will have to be removed from the list and the remaining rearranged based on DOH at WestJet/Swoop. That is the only way WestJet can advocate for DOH which would be to the benefit of its pilot group. To not advocate for it, means WestJet MEC is more concerned about protecting Encore than its own due-paying pilots!
With that, and a freeze for everyone where they are until their seniority catches up with them, merge the lists based on DOH, combine Sunwing with Swoop, that way very few, if any, fences are required as there will be natural freeze at Swoop and the senior folks get to keep their coveted 787 spots based on higher seniority and no one can complain about being worse off.
If WestJet MEC does not do that, they still cannot force Sunwing pilots to merge with pilots of another airline that is a separate employer and separate bargaining unit, but also will not be able to advocate for a DOH, ALPA preferred method of mergers. Then they end up in a messy ratio based merger with all different kinds of DOH on the seniority which are not in order, necessitating more arbitrary fences, Sunwing pilots contesting ALPA’s representation, and almost certainly going to arbitration. And let’s face it, WestJet pilots don’t do well in arbitration because they overestimate their position.
