Originally Posted by
Idaho
This new retirement proposal, and it is a proposal via the TA, is essentially a buy out to people who already have 25 years/ high 5, and then attempt to make others opt out voluntarily and freeze it. They cannot legally take it away, but they are creating a new system of three different retirement vehicles wherein the choice to remain in the A plan will whittle away the fixed payments with no ability to increase. Pretty devious. The company is hell bent on sunsetting the A plan. There was opportunity in past contract negotiations to increasing the benefits. There are many benefits and downsides to traditional pensions. Perhaps we are on our own to provide for retirement and will not be able to count on pensions or tax deferred plans. In which case we will need higher income and to live far far below our means, and make good investments. Ability to skate where the puck is going. What has worked in the past is on thin ice.
Our new NC, if we are successful in voting the TA down, should clearly show us what our corp's executives ever-improving Defined Benefit retirement plan looks like. I bet they don't have to trade in QOL to get it to improve, because they work for a tremendously profitable company. The same company we work for.
The difference has been that our pilot negotiators have a "this is the best we will get from the company, just shut up and say thank you for the scraps you've been fed!" mentality.