Why are pilots seniority issues a big deal in mergers?

Question

what exactly is the problem about and what do they want??

i would like links the detailed articles, if possible.

Answer 1

Few things are as important to a pilot as seniority.

In a recent merger, some high-time Copilots were hurt badly, they will probably NEVER get to be Captains due to the terms of the merger. (Older behind younger, less experienced F/Os)

Answer 2

Seniority is everything in the aviation world.  It determines what schedules a pilot (or flight attendant) flies.  It determines their pay rate.  It determines who gets to sit in the jumpseat when two pilots show up for the same flight trying to get home.  It determines who gets to fly what airplane and from which seat.  It also determines who gets furloughed in the event the company becomes overstaffed (as is usually the case in an acquisition or merger).

If two separate groups of pilots are merged, there is a real problem once someone from company A wants the job that company B's pilot has.  If the guy at company A has a higher seniority number, he gets company B guy's job, and company B guy gets bumped down the ladder.

The example currently in the news is the Delta/Northwest merger.  The average pilot flying for NWA has been there longer than the average pilot flying for DL.  If the two lists are simply merged, the people from NWA get all the good stuff that the Delta people have now.  On the other hand, if the two lists are simply stapled (where one group gets automatically higher seniority than the entire other group) than all of NWA's pilots become junior to DL's pilots and basically lose their seniority position within their own company.

This is a problem with no easy solution.  There are different numbers of pilots at each company so a standard 1 for 1 merge would not work.  Neither would a pure DoH (Date of Hire) seniority list.  For that reason, the two companies have left it up to the unions that represent the two groups to hammer out some sort of agreement.  So far they have been unsuccessful.

Answer 3

Because depending on the type of merger, a pilot who has twenty years seniority with one company will be behind someone who got hired yesterday with the other company.

Answer 4

The impact can be enormous. In a merger, pilots (and other employees) with higher seniority employed by the lesser company have certain benefits and privilleges that may not be recognized by the gaining company. This establishes a rift between the current pilots of both companies and a disymetry of benefits. Vacation, flight and crew assignments, domicile, hotel rooms and other things are often determined based on seniority. Once the merger takes effect, a senior captain used to getting his chosen vacation dates, his pick of flight assignments, etc. maybe faced with being told when he will take vacation, where he will fly, with whom he will share a motel room, etc. Other benefits that take a hit are sick days. Some companies allow employees to trade them for cash at the end of the year. Other companies roll them over the following year. These are but just a few and they are the more "human" factors that end up having a major impact on the success of the merger. Pilots often strike for these very reasons.