How many dispatchers do we have?

A few years ago it was about 360.

400ish. But many are retiring/early-retiring in August.

My understanding is that they're being offered "furlough protection" lasting less than a year from now (through 2Q 2021) IF they vote to extend their current 25% pay cut. I think the cut is actually 25% fewer work shifts yielding that reduced pay. If they don't take the deal by July, they're being told it's off the table and will see ~20% furloughed for 2-3 years. All the August retirees will vote on the deal (or have the opportunity to) despite the fact that they'll not work under the resulting (or rejected) agreement.

464 on the seniority list, 335 active. Your information above is correct, it's a 25% reduction in hours (read ALV) versus rate which as we all know that once conceded, it's a generational affair to come back IF they ever do. The retirees will have the ability to vote and there is no guarantee that if it's sunk, the company will allow another vote after they are off property. Put simply, the fates of potentially 100ish Dispatchers for the next 2-3 years and possibly beyond rests heavily on 80 or so retirees who will either vote to protect their own pay until August or vote to pass the hit and save the jobs. Either way? It stinks. No carrot and stick, just stick and larger stick with the potential of furloughs never too far off the horizon.

That seems like a very bizzare way for it to be structured. Why wouldn't they just let those who are retiring soon do so and then everyone else vote on it?

That's how unions work. If we had a concessionary LOA go to MEMRAT, all pilots on the list would be able to vote. If we have a new TA, it's not like we would prevent pilots that are 64 from voting since they won't be around before it goes into effect.

I get that if there is a TA then everyone can vote. But why not do a separate one a few weeks later in this specific case for that specific reason? Especially when it could easily make the difference? We're always going to have some amount of age 64 pilots. But the percentage of their retiring dispatchers over just a month or so who could tank a deal that the majority of the rest would want seems like a really silly way to time it.

Do we actually know if they have an unusually large amount retiring in a few months? If not, wouldn't there always be a group of dispatchers who would retire before or shortly after the proposed cut in shifts?

Excellent question. The sense is that they want it to fail, not allow a re-vote and then end up furloughing. This seems to best position them for that. The endgame being to be able to say to the noncons "see, representation can't save you". That's the general consensus...

Very true and that's why the company's instance on a vote in July is suspect. Why the rush? There is NO reason it can't wait until 01 Aug when the chance that those who would oppose it would be off property in large measure. Only one answer really....

And the number planning to retire was only around 10-15.