Can you negotiating gurus at least try to call your reps and get some accurate info. If you did that you would be told that the "pancake plan" died in 2018. It's not happening. So if you hear someone talking about "pancakes" they are either uninformed or they are trying to use that old, outdated, no longer valid term to create division in our ranks. You'd also get told that the NC is working to improve our pension (A-plan) with all the same protections as our current DC plan. Or you could just keep spouting half-truths and rumors that have no basis in fact because they help further whatever agenda you're pushing here. Call your reps - get info from a valid source and stop the madness.

As far as the genius, self-proclaimed negotiating experts who are going to turn down the first TA just because............ If it doesn't meet your personal requirements, by all means, vote "no". But if you vote "no" out of principle because it's the "first offer" then you're an idiot. The NC is passing full language proposals section by section. That means there are multiple passes on each section before that particular section is TA'd. A section might be passed 5, 10 times or even more before it's agreed on. So, if you think you're voting down the company's "first offer" when you vote down a TA, then you're a complete moron, don't understand the bargaining process and probably shouldn't have the ability to vote. Call your rep. Seek accurate information.

Continue with your well thought out and highly informed discussions.