Ok Timbo,

I promised a response, & this is my opinion. (That & a $1 will almost get you a dollar item at McDonald's.)

What is my thought of a reasonable pay raise? I don't have one yet, as we're still 1.5years from openers. I do know that "value" is more important to me than "dollars/hour", & like Sink r8 said, we as a group need to stop pigeon-holing ourselves into charging fast-forward for the tangible gains & because we have the "tangible blinders" on, missing some other opportunity in our peripheral.

I know you stated that you wanted hourly pay, plus your DB money returned.

Another question for you Timbo. Why are we, as an industry, stuck in the antiquated mindset of hourly pay? We are professionals, part of a professional organization, & we're not going to demand the same respect of other professionals, in other industries, (i.e. Mgmt.) until we start acting like it ourselves.

Do you think when Richard Anderson's contract comes due that he ask for an "hourly pay increase?"

GMAFB, we need to start SHOWING the company (Delta), the Board of Director's, & the shareholders, that we are as much of the reason for the successes of the company as upper level Management.

TSquare has also stated similar statements in the past. WE NEED TO START ACTING LIKE PROFESSIONALS (investment style employees), INSTEAD OF ACTING LIKE HOURLY HELP. (When you're furloughed, you could even be thought of as (seasonal) hourly help.

How do we do this? I don't have all the answers & I'm most definitely not the brightest bulb on the tree, but let's start tying more of our annual income to the successes of the company. Maybe in the form of company stock? (Just an example, don't shoot holes in the stock idea.) We could start out with an annual salary, equivalent to what everyone was making in C2k, & instead of telling Mgmt. "give me a 100% pay raise, or I'll strike", we could more easily bargain with the leaders of our company by saying, "if you get a yearly bonus in stock, from the BOD due to the successes of the company, well brother Richard, so do we!"

So, bottom line. This immediate gratification of instantaneous & huge pay raises BULL$h1t has to end. The business plan of most pilots to make $400/hr., work 100 hours/mo. (because it's all about them right), & retire with huge amounts of money in their retirement accounts, funded fully by the company has failed & that ship has sailed long go.

For gods sake man!! It's the dam 21st century & we're still stomping our feet & willing to strike over not getting a 100% (hourly) pay increase.

That's all. Just finished at the gym, which included running 8.5 miles, so excuse the delayed response & the absence of information if I didn't answer your questions thoroughly enough.

Good day, & fly safe,

GJ

P.S. This post is intended for Purple's "hourly pay rate increase ignorance" as well.