BoilerUP

My preference is always “more pie”. I am acutely aware, however, that the company hasn’t been interested in baking more for probationary pilots in the past, regardless of the IPA’s efforts.

If there’d be a way to pull an arbitrary dollar amount from second year pay and apply that to first year pay without negatively impacting pilots already on second year pay, that would IMO be something to consider. I’m not certain how feasible negotiating a grandfather clause would be, though.

Another option would be taking some of the eventual new contract DOS raise percentage from 2nd year rates and applying those actual dollars to 1st year pay. Existing 2nd year pilots still would get a DOS raise, while first year pay would get a much-needed bump beyond the flat percentage.

For example and easy math, lets say DOS raise is 10%. $50.33/$192.01/$192.27 rates for the first three years on 1 Sept 20 would then become $55.36/$211.21/$211.50. Taking $10/hr from the DOS 2nd year rate and moving it to the 1st year rate would result in $65.36/$201.21/$211.50, giving the probationary rate a significant 29.87% increase. I have to believe that’d help first-year retention, too.

Again, I’d prefer “more pie”...and have no idea if the company would even entertain the above rumination.