Originally Posted by
Dilbert
Cost neutral is a funny term. For instance, I'm using my tax refund from the last 3 years to renovate my home therefor it is cost neutral. It's not of course because I had to fork out that money that was happily sitting in my bank account to pay for it.
Spirit is paying me more money every year and I'm doing the exact same thing I've been doing for the last 11 years except I get more time off now. I doubt spirit thinks it's cost neutral. (not that I care one iota what they think)
Let's not forget something very important. It is a fact that NK is paying you more each year. But just because the W2 for 2012 was bigger than the one for 2011 that does not mean you are being paid what you are worth. We (and most of us at most airlines) started out way lower than what we should be paid.
When I have worked for RAH, that asswipe piece of crap Bradford once came to a town hall meeting and told us "Why should I pay you more next year for the same job? You are not producing more next year." The answer to that one is: Because you have yet to pay us what we are worth.
- the initial investment for flight training
- 10 years of my life making $10/h on average (I should write a book about that) to get that experience
- X years on furlough
- compensation for the risk included working in one of the most unstable industries
- compensation for other risk i.e. loss of medical
- time away from home
- commuting because you can't keep a single base open long enough
... and the list goes on
That puke has yet to pay what a pilot is worth! And the same goes for Spirit!
It will take us some time and a few more contracts to close the gap. No airline has ever started out with industry average compensation. SW, DAL, etc they all had to fight one contract after the other for what they have. It will be the same for us.
If your company does well, you ask for more. If it doesn't do well they will ask for concessions.
We've made some good progress last time around considering what we are, and what the circumstances were at the time. It is definitely not a cost neutral contract. But as (and if) these guys will gain market share, we will have to ask for more and we will. If it goes the other way (i.e. oil to $150) just wait and they will be after you 401(k) like last time.