Source?

I specifically remember back in 2018-2019 the union saying this would not be a “pay” agreement and was instead aimed at retirement and QOL. Remember, when the opener was put on the table, inflation was just a glimmer in Lunch bucket Joe’s eye.

A pandemic, subsequent inflation, and a dramatic shift in demographics caused the negotiating priorities to shift to pay first, with QOL a close second.

The size of the retirement ask went the way of the dodo bird when 3-4K pilots took the VEOP or otherwise retired between 2018 and 2022. Not to mention how devastating the Tumi TA and failed “AIP” at APA were to the prospect of retirement gains at Delta in the context of pattern bargaining, under the auspice of the NMB.