Okay, so on August 26, 2000, UAL Corporation and ALPA finally reached a tentative agreement.  It only took about two years of details to be discussed at an appropriate time and two days of intense contract talks.   So now what's going to happen?

If the pilots are smart---and we've got every reason to think they are since they've got a good, strong union---then they will pick apart and analyze every section, every sentence, and every word of this tentative agreement.  They will pretend to award themselves $1,000,000.00 if they find even the smallest 'loophole'. They will obtain a copy of the Flight Attendant Collective Bargaining Agreement dated December 3, 1997 to see all the mistakes to avoid.

The date for a vote has not been set yet.  Stay tuned!  In the meantime, stationary stores will have a shortage of red markers as the pilots get busy reviewing this tentative agreement.