Originally Posted by
bluto13
This is where I feel we failed in allowing the negotiation to be framed as a comparison to TA1, which was soundly defeated by the pilot group, vice what we actually desired. We had an opportunity to drastically reframe the debate citing the first ever down vote coupled with pretty dramatic union turnover but instead went for the easier route of "focus plus." We never even broached retirement or medical, even as a potential give aways for other gains. I feel a significant amount of the yes vote was with very serious misgivings, with fear of never getting anything better given our recent TA counters history.
That might partially be the case. However at some point we'll be seeing a rapid leveling off of the rates of increases in pay rates. If anyone thinks we can gain 30% raises every few years into perpetuity, grab a calculator and try it out for 20-30+ years HAHA!
The good news in that is that while we are still due greater than inflation raises, they are running out of section 3 pay table room to "wow" us as a bribe to claw back other sections of our contract. The fact that we held the line on more large RJ's is huge, and the JV scope had gives and takes but I think that's pretty much it for them. For future contracts IMO we need to be going for QOL, medical and
scope above all else.