Originally Posted by
Pineapple Guy
Fair enough - but see below.
I can only speak for DAL. I was hired in the late 80's and the early 90s contract had modest raises. By today's standard, that's a boom. Then the 1996 contract had a 2% paycut, followed with a 4-year, no raise, contract. That a bust by my definition. Then the 2001 contract had about a 30% raise. That's a boom by my definition. Then our pre-bankruptcy and bankruptcy contracts had a combined 42% paycut, and a pension termination. That's a bust by my definition. And I'll call the JCBA a wash.
So, in my 20 years, five contracts have been boom-bust-boom-bust-wash. Pretty much just what slow was claiming to be true. I can't speak for how those twenty years played out at NWA.
DAL88, where are you? Carl states that modest increases, which were in reality modest decreases when adjusted for inflation, are something to be proud of. Eerily similar to LM claiming that we are now back to pre-bankruptcy pay rates, don't you think? Hmmm. Could it be??? Is Carl really a pseudonym for our very own LM? Things that make you go Hmmm.
Hey PG,
I'm enjoying Thanksgiving with my family. Hope you are too!
I think the problem with your argument is your use of the "boom and bust" concept. Here are the definitions of "boom" and "bust" I found as they relate to business:
Boom - To grow, develop, or progress rapidly; flourish: "Business is booming."
Bust - A state of bankruptcy. A time or period of widespread financial depression.
I don't think a 2% pay cut would meet most people's understanding of a "bust", especially when you consider the actual definition of the term. Certainly, a 30% increase could be considered a "boom" under the right circumstances. However, as you point out, our buying power was in a slow, steady decline (even though actual rates were going up or remaining stagnant) in your chart. It could be argued that the 30% increase with C2K was simply a correction to get our profession back on track to where it should be. That's the way I see it. A 42% pay cut, loss of pension, and having thousands of jobs outsourced would I think most definitely be considered a huge "bust" in most people's view. But those were both anomalies, not a normal part of a cycle.
I would write more, but I'm going to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family. I hope everyone else here is able to do the same today! No matter how poorly our careers have gone in recent years, there is much more to life than our jobs. I hope everyone will spend the day focusing on all the many things in life we have to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!