Not as bad as others I've taken. Entire focus was retirement, medical, and disability. Although not entirely flexible, I think I was able to mostly get my point of view across..

 

I also would have appreciated a little more flexibility. Hopefully the comments I made in the blank space at the end were enough to get my points of view across.

 

14,500+ pilots simply can't have ultimate flexibility. I know we're all unique snowflakes who demand to be heard, but a survey need not meet everyone's unique needs for structure/content. There's no limit on the length of email you send to your reps. Anyone who feels unheard should feel free to supplement their survey with direct rep contact.

I'm sure the survey will net useful information for negotiations. Heck, even the three-button restroom satisfaction boxes provide some value to someone...

 

*Begin survey*

Increase DC to 20%

Provide optional investment vehicles/education for use of DC Excess Cash

*End survey*

 

^^^This

They must not be getting the answers they want to the retirement question, so they KEEP ASKING

*hint - we don’t want a pension or any other annuity promise setup. No roadshow circuit or leading phone/internet polling is going to change that

Hit 20% then move on to QOL items like higher daily credit for VAC/Training, more vacation accrual, paid APD, more IVDs/IVD flexibility, improved Bank options for deposit/withdrawal, DH language, RES GS noop protection, etc.

Lots of things we can shoot for. A pension is not what the pilots want

 

An actual decent medical plan would be appreciated

 

Guys on the way out want a pension and guaranteed income at the expense of the rest of the contract (which means at the expense of the younger pilots.) I’ve said it on here before. I put on my survey that I don’t even want touch the retirement section.

 

Caught us, we want that and more. Gold Rolex too, at your expense. Mandatory retirement parties with ponies and strippers, at your expense.
Age 67, no 70 too. We senior guys drink babies blood and want everything. Aren't helmets mandatory in hockey?

 

Just. Not. True. Hint: There is a significant population of pilots that DO want some kind of retirement fix.

Denny

 

Maybe, but what is a "significant population" in your opinion?



I am 55 and would love to see the retirement improved but each year we hire 1000 younger guys and over 500 older guys retire. If the MEC thinks they can wait for the perfect contract they will lose their chance at this via simple attrition. Every year the percentage of Pilots who prioritize retirement decreases.



The only way retirement will be addressed is if we get a quick TA but that is all but impossible since the more militant Pilots seem to have the ear of the MEC. Nothing wrong with being aggressive and we have certainly had our share of pusillanimous union folks, think TA-1, but you have to choose your battles wisely.



We lost this battle back when we agreed to LOA 51 - not to challenge the pension termination. I voted against that LOA but my side lost. I moved on. If we could not muster enough guys to hold the line at a pension when 100% of the Pilots cared about pension how can we convince guys to fight for it now? And why should the younger guys take up a cause that we refused to engage in 14 years ago?


Like I said, I am for improving the pension but I just don't see it happening as any sort of DB type income stream. We have tons of leverage but guess what? To use leverage you have to be willing to trade it for something. As long as a very vocal minority keep insisting that we can get to a TA with zero concessions we will get only two things: Jack and Squat.



The sad part is the guys yelling the loudest for retirement for the most part are the same guys insisting that will vote no for any TA with even a single concession. I realize most of this is bluster, but they have effectively boxed our MEC into a corner making the very thing they desire less likely to occur.


Scoop