My thoughts....
We have a contract that ran its course a few months back, so we now have a TA.
In a TA, all things should be negotiated that the pilots find important. Even though Sect25 is on hold due to the FAA changes that are coming, EVERYTHING ELSE should be negotiated in this TA.
-3% is chump change. Actually, I could care less about a raise. There are more important issues.
-ASAP and FOQA should not be something that needs to be negotiated to where we might be gettings scraps from the Company. Safety is the whole point. Our record shows that we need some kind of change. It should benefit all. Global War on Error, while a good program, is to me a smoke screen by the Company. If they really cared they would have done FOQA and ASAP long ago. And, what the heck was in that Enders report?
-Accepted fares, better 4a2b, 60 day deviation banks should be finalized now, day night day swaps, real time trip trading, along with the other items some have mentioned.
-The FDA stuff is much better. But, that is where I think we have negotiating leverage if we vote the TA down. For those of you that disagree....everyone has their opinion. They lowballed us last time and it cost us all displacement bids and 4a2b. For those that thought the last FDA LOA wouldnt affect you; well I hope you have seen the light. Being the selfish schmuck I am not, I want to bid HKG, and the offer is good, but the rest of the package is not so.
-As far as age 60 retirement and our retirement package, lets do it now. And if done later, and others worry about that, it cant be changed unless WE change it contractually. Those that assume that we will get the short end of the stick on these items will only get the short end if they allow it.
So, if this is a short term TA due to the FAA changes that are coming, so be it. But lets negotiate everything else now, not later. I dont trust the Company because they are out to better their business....understood. I just see a very myopic strategy by our leaders......-2.
In my dreams I see the whole pilot group not doing anything extra above their schedule, vacation buy back, etc., add nauseum. Then I wake up and the unfortunate reality is back. Aside from the things I stated above, we hold the final key....or so I believe. I would suggest to get debt free and save up your $$ just in case.