Originally Posted by Gunfighter

Nailed it GF. Increases in non taxable compensation are how we combat inflation. If we get a 25% raise, we have 15 remaining after taxes. Raises get diluted by the marginal tax rate until the tax brackets get adjusted upward to match inflation. That isn't happening for years.

QOL improvements that require more staffing will be the most difficult to negotiate. The pilot shortage demands maximizing block hours per pilot. In theory pay should.be the easiest to negotiate. Productivity gives with a snap back like pay no credit for vacation or flying obligation (at a premium) when released for training are two ways to "sell productivity".

Our bargaining agent is selling labor. Understanding and meeting the needs of our target customer is how we maximize the value. Sadly, providing additional labor isn't an option for a few years. Our best approach may be maximizing value thru soft pay and productivity (block hours) while maximizing QOL at work (DH, reroute, layover, commute). The shortage helps us get more pay for our labor, but it works against some QOL items like more credit for vacation and training.