Originally Posted by CALFO

That's only part of the data. You need to add in the following advantages/disadvantages:

1. Medical capped at 20% for UAL vs. 22% DAL. = +$1.20/hr (family of four).
2. DAL free $660K life insurance vs JCBA $100K (up to about $270K). = (-$0.35)
3. LTD - Free at DAL but vastly inferior. To bring costs in-line with JCBA, add $1.50 to $2.50 per hour (you can't buy this protection anywhere on the market, so potential value is truly more).
4. Dry clean domestic pilot - $0.50/hr.
5. Vacation value - add up to $2.00 / hr.
There are more. Add all these up plus min line guarantee and what I'm looking at is that this JCBA pays more compensation that DAL beginning in 2015.

Here is my prediction after this one gets shot down. Most MEC members and JNC will be replaced. The new guys will stare down management and demand parity pay rates with DAL plus some more retro. Management will "give in", asking only for a couple of minor concessions, such as bringing all the "small items" above in line with DAL. Eight months from now, we will vote on this new deal and it will be hailed as a victory. At the end of the day, it will achieve nothing in terms of compensating our pilots and in-fact will be of less value overall, as the pay rates for 2016 and 2017 will "fall in line" and the amendable date will be pushed another 8 months. We will all "feel" better and be able to sleep at night because we Manned-up and showed Smisek.