Vote day, that is.  Tomorrow our own union MEC will meet in a special session to vote whether to support the CHAOS actions if the Company pushes forward with the merger.

Our Union's position is that our contract requires United to negotiate with us over merging US Airways flight attendants into our system seniority list and running both airlines as one operation.  Our contract language requires that this negotiation apply to any merger, not just the US Airways deal.  According to AFA, our union has attempted to negotiate with United, but the Company failed to both discuss a proposed job security proposal as well as provide the 'job security protections that Jim Goodwin guaranteed all US Airways employees in their transaction documents.'

United position is that it does not need a waiver from us to close the deal.  They argue that "the overall flight attendant compensation is already the highest in the industry, and the increase the company offered would further extend this advantage."  This 'increase' that the company offered was a 4% increase in pay rates.  They had originally offered 3% in the first round of talks.

The outcome of tomorrow's session (and of the merger should it go through) could very well put a lot of money into the pockets of attorneys handling the lawsuits back and forth between our union and United.  Instead of shouts of Mad as Hell!, you may very well eventually hear the subtle sound of lawyer briefcases clicking open and shut.  Quieter, more professional, and more effective than green signs---this is a time for us to get serious (legal serious, that is) about the enforcement of our contract and our future at this airline.

But remember this:  This wage proposal and merger dispute should not be confused with our normal Wage Arbitration review that is set for this year.  The company had agreed to open our contract early because of the recent pay increases given to other employee groups.  Even though these recent talks have broken down, with a possible CHAOS vote about to be made, our Wage Arbitration review must proceed normally under the terms of our current contract dated December 3, 1997.

Stay tuned folks, because this in one hell of an important story that concerns all of us.