Nicolau Arbitration Award - Leonidas

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The America West pilots insist that the Board should go further
than the merger of active pilots with active pilots; that instead of
placing America West's most junior pilot (Odell) just above Colello,
the senior pre-merger US Airways' furloughee, that Odell should be
placed some 750 numbers above Colello. Otherwise, Odell, who was
not at risk of furlough because of the stability of America West as of
May 19, 2005, would be placed at risk of furlough before some 750
active US Airways pilots, who, because of their airline's continuing
instability, were at constant risk of that fate.
That approach simply reaches too far. Today, Colello, who was
US Airways most senior furloughee on May 19, 2005, is now a B757
First Officer with some 300 active US Airways pilots beneath him. If
Odell is placed on the list above Colello next to and just below Monda,
who was the junior US Airways active pilot, that will insure that active
pilots are integrated with active pilots and also give Odell a measure
of protection the America West pilots justifiably seek. In making this
judgment, we agree with America West's argument that in this case
active pilots should be merged with active pilots, but do not agree that
the equities are so persuasive as to disadvantage US Airways pilots
such as Monda and those above him, who, like Odell, brought jobs to
the merger. Hence, our adherence to the merger date as the point at
which the pairing should be made. We also understand that our
choices will place pilots with disparate lengths of service next to each