So the total value of the contract is the measuring stick in your world?
Don't you think that 1.5B had just
a little to do with the fact that the contract is LONGER than any contract negotiated on this property? Heck, if that's your main measure of success, we could have gotten it up to 2.5B if we made it a round 10 year contract.
Considering the negotiating power we held and the company's economic strength, for what I see that we got, that 1.5B is incredibly cheap. The fact that it took "gives" and "horse trading" to get ourselves what the company gleefully admitted was a cost neutral contract before the ink was barely dry isn't something to be proud of, IMO.
Aside from a basic COLA type raise over the life of the contract (quickly eclipsed by our pax brethren) and 1% more in the B-fund (2 more years to go for the other 1%), what EXACTLY do you see on a regular basis flying the line that makes you happy with our current contract?
I see lower travel banks on long haul international deadheads.
Our FDA bros getting hosed on hotel in lieu of.
A significant number of scheduling improvements that have yet to be put into practice 2 years after signing.
Bidding for training still hasn't happened.
A new interpretation of jury duty pay that's worse.
Age dependent bonuses
A retirement bonus that effectively incentivizes not taking sick leave and working a maximum schedule for the last 2 years.
I could go on........
So, we get sold this contract and it passes by a margin that easily falls into the apathetic, "If the MEC recommends it, it must be ok" group. Perhaps you can understand why those of us who voted "no" on the contract might feel reluctant to place our trust in this process again, concerned we'll get a repeat performance by another sales group. Never mind that simple reality that the company has ZERO incentive to do anything unless it's in their favor. Pardon me if that fact right there makes me extremely leery of anything that comes out of this process considering our history of being "out-everythinged" by the company. If I felt like I could trust the MEC to educate us, accurately show us the pros and cons with no spin or sales pitch and most importantly LET US KEEP WHAT WE HAVE if we want, then I'd feel a lot better about them "doing their job." Fool me once.....