Originally Posted by
sailingfun
The likelihood of full retro depends on how far past the amendable date a contract is signed. Less than a year it’s very likely, 1 to 2 years less likely, over 2 unlikely. It also can hinge on who the mediator feels is the reason for the delay.
I agree with your last sentence, but depending on the negotiating stance I don't think retro is unlikely beyond 2 years. I do believe a drawn out negotiation does impact what that "full retro" looks like. IIRC, the last SWA deal reflected this. They got "full retro", but years 1 and 2 beyond the amendable date were small raises that the retro was based on and the bulk of the raise they were going to see at date of signing occurred in the most recent yearly step. Now they paid everyone out in full on it, but the retro for the first couple of years was tiny compared to the raise they were getting. I do not recall the exact numbers, but it was like getting a 20% raise after negotiating for 4 years (3 past the amendable date) with year 1 at 3%, year 2 at 4% and year 3 at 12%. They didn't get 20% all the way back to the amendable date.