Originally Posted by 2cylinderdriver

Q: Would you rather we settled a "traditional" 4-5 year deal, say in early 2013, during a time in which no carrier would of had rates anywhere near ours (at that time), and be locked into what would now be a substandard deal looking at the patterns in the industry?

We would not have a crack at the current industry rates until 2019-2020 because we would be stuck at just over a 300 max rate by the end of what would of been a 2013ish CBA and now we can settle a deal that puts us at or above any rates of the industry leaders. DAL will surpass AA by the end of July and set the new bar. We are at the perfect time and place, if you ask me, every factor that could be in our favor, is in our favor. Run a simple pay rate assumption from the 2 year CBA with a new deal in the next few months against one from a theoretical CBA that resembles what we would of signed in about 2013 and you will see that we are not behind and have enjoyed the higher rates of the 2011 deal in the meantime, lowering pressure on retro pay.

The MEC Officers should be a non factor in closing this out, unless our MEC is stupid enough to change the players and the game now. If the MEC does that next week and gives our mediator and the Company an excuse to further delay, then shame on us. The Company has ran out of excuses and labor peace so let's not trip heading over the finish line, please.