Originally Posted by gettinbumped

James, I've always respected you on this board. Even though we disagree here, that stays true. I respect your point of view. I see if differently, but it certainly doesn't mean I'm correct. I think what it comes down to is how much is our present leverage worth. You assume that if we went into section 6, the company would give us the same pay rates PLUS improvements in every other area you've mentioned, and still ask for no concessions in other areas. As they do a cost dollar analysis for everything, what you're saying is that the leverage we have with the FRMS needs of the company is worth more than we extracted. I think that is where we disagree. I'm betting the negotiating committee extracted as much as they possibly could. In the face of what has been offered to the other pilot groups, I think what we got looks rather good. It seems to me (NO EXPERT) that we got a lot for the leverage we had. I think this by looking DAL, SWA, AMR, heck throw UPS in there. Record profits are NOT motivating the company to negotiate and the railway labor act neuters much of whatever leverage we can gain. There is a need from the company here clearly, and they were willing to pay for it. You keep saying that 16/3/2 is pennies on the dollar. You suggest that a section 6 negotiation is going to take 5 years (since you suggest we are now 7 years out from a new contract). That 7 years at 15% more than we have now (21%-6%) is a LOT of money. During that 7 years I think we all expect the situation to swing back towards the negative in our industry. Let's say we start negotiating next year and it takes the 5 years you suggest. In year 2 we have a major downturn and the company is no longer looking to give us ANY improvements, but actually looking for concessions? I would rather sail through that storm 15% higher PER YEAR than I am now.

As far as reserve improvements go, if a contract is going to take 5 years then those are 5 years away anyway. And I doubt we will be negotiating from the position of strength that we have now. 15% per year at $200,000 (around the average pay for a narrowbody Captain or Widebody FO flying normal hours under the new rates) is 30,000 a year x your 5 years is $150,000 PER PILOT. Multiply that x 12,000 pilots and you're at $360 million. That's WITHOUT any DAL me too. That's a big number for the leverage we have, or at least not "pennies on the dollar" in my opinion.

Again, I know you don't agree with this analysis, and I understand. Not asking you to. I just have a different perspective. Whichever way this goes, I hope that it works out well for all of us.