Originally Posted by
Mesabah
Sounds like a line I would say to one of my workers, it is also a lie. The CBA as a whole has a value attached to it. The individual pay rates are decided by the union. The union voted in a blended rate at Alaska for the 737's, Mesaba had a blended rate too.
From form 4 data:
DALPA contract: $1.900 billion / ~11000 pilots = ~$173K per pilot
SWAPA contract: $1.300 billion / ~5500 pilots = ~$236K per pilot
You are paid based on what you negotiate collectively. You stated you wish SWAPA would do some heavy lifting for the industry, what was that based on?
Your numbers don't make and form 4 data does not include the same items from airline to airline. In 2012 the average wage at Delta was 158 k a year. It was 157k at SW. The benefit package was 51k per pilot at Delta and 27k at SWA. Sine then delta wages are up 16% with SWA showing I think a 2 percent gain. Delta retirement funding also went to 15%. In 2013 SWA reported total pilot costs per hour at 809 on the 737-800. Delta was 972.
The pay rates at SWA came from the 2001 contracts at DAL and UAL. SW agreed to rates almost 20 percent below the standard while having much higher productivity. They have never led the industry or established new standards despite being consistently the most profitable and by far having the best financials.