Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
I've stuck (more or less) to my New Year's resolution to stay off this board, as it was sucking the life out of me.
And I don't really intend to change that, but I couldn't help but notice the incredible hypocrisy and double talk coming from many on here. Consider the following:
1. Guys like Carl complained at the time of the merger, that even though hourly rates went up, his pay went down because of the low reserve guarantee. Now that's been fixed, and guys are whining. For a guy currently on reserve and getting 70 hours of pay, moving the guarantee to 80 (assuming an 82 ALV), coupled with the contractual pay raises results in a 29% increase in W2 on 1/1/13! Not too shabby.
I thought the FNWA complaint was more about 150% pay?
Either way, moving the reserve guarantee from 70 to 80 means fewer pilots required, right?
Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
2. ALPA used to say DCI wasn't a big factor because they were only 15% of total ASMs. Guys on this board lambasted that and said its all about block hours; ASMs are irrelevant. Now, ALPA substantially increases the block hour ratio, grounding several hundred DCI jets, and guys say that doesn't matter; it's all about size. So which is it?
I think it's all about the # of jets DCI is operating not some convoluted MBH : DBH scheme. I'd rather count airplanes.
Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
3. Guys wanted SWA pay on day 1. This contract achieves that, when factoring in the differential DC contributions.
Show that math on that one.
Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
4. Guys hated profit sharing when we traded pay to get it. They said it will never pay off, it's subject to bean counter manipulation, etc. They said SHOW ME THE MONEY. Now, ALPA negotiates a "modest" decrease in profit sharing, while still maintaining the top bracket (20% of all income above $2.5B goes to the employees -- think if AAPL had that!), and you're complaining.
Think of it more as "these pay rates and a decrease in profit sharing???
Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
5. Lastly, and most importantly, if you want to know why our "team" of professional airline pilots are not winning this game, look at your teammates. Every time Delta ALPA comes up to bat, we hit a single. Not sexy, the crowd doesn't go wild, but we hit a single and get on base. Next comes APA -- swing for the fences, but strke out. Then comes USAir -- swinging for that fence again, strikeout. Sadly, our brothers at UCAL appear to be doing the same thing.
I think we all wanted to see if after all of the singles, would you deliver when the game mattered.
I think you can look around and see how people feel about that.
Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
Even SWAPA. Because all of us took 4 giant steps backward, they ended up at the front of the line. They work for a company making record profits year in and year out, and now they are finally out front with a chance to LEAD the profession, and what do they do? Do they eliminate the need to buy your job with a type rating paid for by yourself? NO. Do they take an aggressive stance against management and get solid pay raises? NO. They aren't even close to what we negotiated back in 2001 for pay, yet they've had 38 years of unparalleled profitability. Talk about "we'll get 'em next time!" No, they have put themselves in neutral, waiting for us to pass them by, so they can get their cost advantage again, and use that to grow their airline.
Confused. I thought you just said we'd have the same pay on day 1?
BTW, SWA doesn't require you to pay for your type rating and we're not even close to what was negotiated in 2001.
Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
So, while I am not at all happy with where the payrates ended up in this TA, when I look around at my fellow aviators, all I can say is, time to step up and help out. We can't do it alone.
k?