Nice payrates. Not that we'll ever see them!
Classic mgmt negotiating tactic: dazzle with dollars and give nothing else.
All the AA guys think the '5 seats' issue is off the table. HA!
What do the pilots want FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS of the professional lives? Better vacation, sick, duty rigs, reserve system? That's going to cost something.
What do you think the negotiators want in return?
You guessed it!
Step back and think about what mgmt wants the airline network to look like 5 years from now. IMO, all 50 seaters are gone, replaced by E175s at 80 seats (big order for 320 jets on books now).
For the union analysists, using that scenario, what will the impact be on mainline operations, and how can contract language be crafted to protect jobs and growth?
Remember, $$ can be taken away quickly - remember 9-11 and the BK's. Plus, the taxman loves it when we get a raise, 'cause he gets one too.
Here's my wish list/dream sheet (FWIW):
-Duty rigs: trip rig at 1:3
-Eliminate variable minimum day
-When I started, 49 days (7 WEEKS) was the max vacation. Let's start there.
-Two positive space coach family vacation passes per year (no worries about getting back and forth)
-Paid medical/dental/life - Yes, this means zero cost to pilots. Boeing includes it for their employees as 'part of compensation'.
-Profit sharing
-Better reserve system
-Sick time revamp for higher accrual, faster re-accrual after illness.
-$50 bucks a week for short term disability? They can do better than that. This is an insult that needs to be corrected.
-LTD: BIG ITEM!! NO OFFSETS! $8K cap needs to be eliminated.
-100K life insurance? What a joke. Buy us a 1M policy.
-Retiree medical/life insurance - who here is over 50? Raise you hands!
I'm sure you could add to the list. Make sure we get all we can get for the '5 seats', because that's what improving your life is going to cost.
Cheers.
