Originally Posted by
SpecialTracking
Yes, we'll be industry leading in pay. Delta's contract cycle going forward will be 2.5 yrs or better ahead of us. They are negotiating during the most profitable time in airline history so it goes without saying that their total contractual improvement will be well above our 15-0-2 pay bump. It's that Delta difference that I'm considering playing out for many contracts in the future.
I look at it as we will be setting the bar for pay rates, and should be something they will easily attain at a minimum to match what we get if not exceed it. Which could get us matching pay rates depending on the situation.
If we go to our next contract negotiations with already matching DAL rates we won't have to go for monster pay raises and can go for QOL issues like reserve, retirement, scope, healthcare, sick and vacation time.
But if we don't and wait for Delta to get a contract we are going to have to go after probably 25% pay raises or more just to match them. Hard for investors and wall street and the average guy to watch that happen which means it probably wouldn't.