Pay attention. This argument is structured around pay only to simplify it enough that a non-wonk can understand it. It’s the concept, not the details of ratifiable TA.

Work rules and benefits have their own models for costing. Some productivity gives can have value that offset the concession. Some benefit increases can offset other concessions.

What I’m saying is modest changes in overall productivity (work rules, benefits, etc) coupled with modest cost of living indexed pay raises can yield vastly superior results over the duration of a career. It requires discipline and a willingness to move on from past failures. Insisting on getting it all back is a losing strategy and fails every time and will fail this time as well.

 

Says the guy who sat in the back of the room at school. Sorry if it’s over your head.

 

The cake is a lie.

 

Absolutely. As anyone who reads my posts can attest, I am far from a "radical." But this is a one item NO vote from me. The company is just now realizing that they are led by buffoons, just now realizing that Rolling Thunder and multiple PB days are a "thing" and just now realizing that pilots, while we may take awhile to figure things out, eventually can take the mindset of "with chaos, there is opportunity." They are just now realizing that strategies that look brilliant in a breathless meeting-room presentation, surrounded by likeminded sorts agreeing with each other, don't always work out so well in the real world.

Reserve PB days have been a feature of the contract for 50 years! However, until recently they were very rare for several reasons. See an earlier post of mine for details. But the biggest point is, they couldn't have "Rolling Thunder" if they just staffed the categories to normal levels. The whole reserve GS/PB day concept is there to punish the company when they ludicrously underman categories. Who was it mentioning cake and eating it too? If the company is distressed about reserve PB days, there is a real easy solution--staff the categories such that multiple GS aren't a "thing." Since no one gets GS#2 unless everyone in the category has a shot at GS#1, that isn't exactly asking for much is it?

 

What are you referring to?

 

We all get your point by the first sentence, believe me.

 

Sans a few pilots and honestly, probably you, most don’t need a novel about Econ 101. One has to wonder if there may be angst about the new guys doing much better than the 4,8,3,3/ concession crowd.

 

That didn't answer the question. What are you referring to?

 

What scares me is we are negotiating to keep from giving up things rather than gaining ground. No wonder why we can’t agree on a very low cost item like DH to just bring us to industry standard. Not even exceed, just meet the standard.

 

Also should just start negotiating with the board of directors. Send them emails that they need to prioritize their asks. Go over management’s head. That’d be funny.