Originally Posted by
TheManager
1st. So, RA feels we are paid about right and DAL will only pay industry average wages?
What are those AF/KLM payrates? How much better are their benefits?
I'm not even going to beat the SWA/AT horse again. Everyone here gets it. Christ, just look at their medical benefits which I do believe they all get on day one of the integration.
2nd. As for the other employees. Most, if not all groups, are close to or have passed their Bk pay levels. They also did not take as severe of a haircut that we did. We do not have to consider them, nor how RA feels he has to respond to them, in context to our own contract. That argument is a non starter. And by the way, he will likely have to take that up with their union(s) anyway. Next merger is going to most likely end that drama once and for all at DAL
Your points are valid to an extent. Perception however is everything. Management will have to cough up some major money to the other employees after we sign if its a great contract. You can point to airlines with better contracts then Delta. Management is going to point to other examples. USAIR is actually are biggest competitor on a overall passenger basis. We compete on virtually ever Eastern Market. What are their payrates?
As far as what other employees took in pay cuts again you have to look at the overall cuts. Their retirement used to be identical to ours. Its been frozen since 04. Their new retirement is substantially less then ours. I believe its 5.5 percent into a DC plan. Ours is 14 percent. They did not see the major increases we saw from 2000 to 2004. Their medical went up just like ours however if your take home pay is 2000 a month and your medical goes up 300 a month its a much bigger hit then someone taking home 6000 a month or more. I don't know of any employee groups that are getting more pay now then pre chapter 11. The current flight attendant rate is 46 an hour verses 50 before the filing. If you compare most other employee groups to the industry and then compare us we are at a higher rate relative to average. You may somehow feel slighted but the other employees have given plenty. I am not even considering the whole sale job reductions and complete job eliminations many groups endured.