Originally Posted by
shiznit
With higher rates that multiply onto W2's it will do the work needed like DAL88 says. Would a 16-18%? 401k count toward the goal of "rates" restoration in the future then or not? It is another way to hide it from other employee groups, yet like Denny says it is just another line of his taxable income once the 415c limit is reached that is part of our W2's.
I don't see any reason to "hide" anything from other employee groups. The other employee groups didn't take anything like the level of cuts we took. And they've made a lot more progress than we have toward restoration of the cuts they did take. I know Delta management loves to make us out to be the bad guys and pit the other employees against us (saw it first hand in BK), but I don't think we need to let that intimidate us. IMO it should not be a consideration for us.
Originally Posted by
shiznit
My math says 18.25% above 2015 to equal 2004 rates (for 7ERB).
As a purely hypothetical example let's say we somehow do something similar to C12 (but in a better way!): 6.5% early/9.5% on amendable/ 4%/4% (with no PS change) and another 2% into the 401k... That is a combined raise on the amendable date of 18.95%, or does 401k play no role in the restoration for you?
I might agree to something like that (6.5% early/9.5% on amendable). You do realize that in order to achieve anything like that you would have to open higher, right?
And I don't think 4%/4% is quite enough. Not given the enormous sacrifices we've all made over the past decade and the fact that even your suggested "6.5% early/9.5% on amendable" still leaves us at approximately a 21% CUT in buying power over our 2004/C2K rates.
In other words, I could probably be persuaded to vote for full restoration of the actual 2004 rates (unadjusted for inflation) by day one but I need to see something that at least makes some decent progress towards restoring our buying power over the rest of the contract. 4% is barely ahead of published inflation and may not even be enough to keep up with the true increase in cost of living.
I'm encouraged that you're at least thinking along these lines, but I'm also jaded enough to be very skeptical that actual DALPA negotiators would open with something that would be enough to result in a negotiated result like you suggest.
As for the 401k... Again, I'd rather see the increase to the rates. I think our retirement setup is already very good and I am happy with it. Given the enormous sacrifice/loss in value with the termination of the pension, I don't mind seeing our retirement benefit increased. (More is always better, right?
) But I'd rather see it increased via a higher W2 resulting in more company contribution dollars going into the DPSP. I really do not care what the other employees think. That is completely irrelevant... they could have applied for a pilot position at Delta Air Lines if they were qualified and wanted the job and the responsibility.