Originally Posted by
Dobbs18
so I went to bls.gov and used their CPI Inflation calculator. I put in my pay rate on Jan 2019 in the calculator and then it generated what that would have to be in todays dollars…it was 17.5% higher. So we would have to get pay rates over 17.5% higher than our current rate to see a “raise”. Look I am all for getting as much as we can, but I just don’t see the company pushing across the table a 18/3/2 offer…maybe they will…but what I think would be smart is to get as much as we can along with great QOL and language and have a snap up provision with no cap. Also need to limit this contract to like 3years(plus raises for every year after so they are forced to negotiate), every month that goes by we are just falling father behind. It’s the time value of money that pilots(unions in general) don’t understand. We should have signed the supposed deal back in 2019 and we would be back negotiating again now instead of still negotiating. You think we are going to be “made whole” for the last 3 years? We are not, that is money lost and gone…but I am perfectly fine with them saying no to the current offer, it is a joke of an offer. What is my personal YES vote threshold? I don’t know bc it’s not just payrates I am concerned with. Most US companies give “raises” in the 3% range with a lot of experts expecting this to go to an avg of 4% or maybe even 5-7%. Notice how I put “raises” in quotes, it’s bc it has nothing to do with inflation, it is simply a percentage that is currently higher than one’s current salary. But inflation is at historic highs right now so everyone wants to beat the inflation drum but historically “raises” were never calculated as current salary + inflation + increase. It was and is, simply, current salary + increase.
If you’re ok with making less money than you did a few years ago and calling it good, then I guess that’s ok. Time value of money is very real and applies to the last few years, but it also applies when setting the bar too low for not just this contract, but the starting point for the next one. And for every one after that. Compounded for the rest of your career. Accept nothing less than full retro, signing bonus equal to that/being made whole. That is the only thing that will keep from eroding your buying power and standard of living. Maybe the company won’t push 18/3/2 across the table (which is probably too low in subsequent years anyway), but that means the pilots must do it. And if it doesn’t meet the acceptable threshold of the membership, it gets shot down and doesn’t pass.
Completely agree that the rates are not everything, and QOL improvements are just if not more important. Also in the short duration, snap-up with no cap, etc. We just can’t allow managements to get pilots to accept pay cuts in this environment. You know they will be getting inflation+ when they negotiate their pay. They’d be stupid not to.
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