We have discounted management's latest offer out of hand. We feel it bypasses the process of membership ratifcation and therefore is a non starter.
There are two reasons why discounting this move is a bad idea:
1. In order to throw it out, one must believe that we are not destined to face the arbitrator down the road, otherwise we are just procrasting and enduring a lousy contract longer than we should. In order to believe THAT, one has to believe that we are making progress in the talks (somebody let me know of it because I don't see any) or believe that at the final impasse we have the will and conviction to strike to achieve or ends (another very dubious belief addressed in a previous post for those who are interested.)
2. We value membership ratification over expediency. Now while this may seem like a good idea, understand that at the table right now there are two different kinds of negotiator. Theirs, having the authority to strike a deal, and ours, who must float anything by 10,000 votes to be able to say yes or no.
And you wonder why it's taking so long.
No, we have automatically discounted the possibility of an arbitrator as a management ploy that we claim is designed to make them look like they are not waffling. Well, if that's what it is, it worked. No judge in his right mind is going to hold their feet to the fire after this offer and its subsequent rejection.
So we have to ask ourselves, Are our leaders stupid or are they posturing? Knowing the corner into which we are now painted, I would argue the latter. After all, we are resigned to not being satisfied with what we will get, and no politician in his/her right mind wants to have that mud on their hands after the fact. Better to look tough. Carries more political clout.
Meanwhile you wait. You get a lousy paycheck. You get what you voted for.
A similar situation arose in 1989 at Eastern Airlines, where an MEC chairman painted himself into an untenable position that resulted in an unwinable strike and the subsequent loss of ALL 3300 pilot jobs.
And who says history doesn't repeat itself?
