The CAL MEC allowed themselves to be backed into a corner on this. Since the 2009 amenable date we were demanding full retro in the new contract. Out of political motive they promised "retro." Retro is the difference between the new and old pay rate multiplied by hours worked. There is no partial retro. It's all or none. However, when we failed to negotiate full retro the MEC couldn't then call it a "signing bonus," so they called it "retro" even though it was not. But having called it retro, it had to be calculated like retro in which hours flown is part of the equation, which harmed military and LTD pilots. They should have called it what it really was, a signing bonus, and given it to anyone (in some measure) who had been on the seniority list since 1/1/09.