noguardbaby

The current A-Fund benefit was set in 1999, with a 130k cap on 25 years of service. There's been no improvements in 22 years. The B fund has seen only modest improvements over that same period (6% in 2006 to 9% today). Pay raises have not kept up with inflation. Covid has played havoc on work conditions, with no end in sight. The optimizer has been working overtime for several years, with great success. Collectively we are losing. As a unionized work force, we need to decide if we're going to continue down this same 20 year path of diminishing pay, work rule give-backs, and reduced benefits. Contact your block reps and let them know if you are satisfied with a continuation of the last three TA's ... or if it's time to change. The company is planning to hire 1700 pilots over the next two years. It's not too hard to figure out how that will impact open time/draft/vacation buyback/ etc... At some point the Majors are gonna want their belly freight back. And it's not like Amazon's market share is shrinking. All that to say, the company has done a fantastic job managing the business through very challenging times, with tremendous support from all the employee groups including huge increases in pilot utilization. Now it's time for our pilot group to be rewarded for those efforts, with a contract that recognizes our contribution to the organization. Unfortunately, that recognition will be not freely given, it must be negotiated. Contact your rep, it's no longer business as usual.

busdriver12

You think 1999 is bad, try retiree health care reimbursement based upon 1993 rates. You want to retire before age 65 or have those senior people move out of your seat? Good luck when they have to pay most of the ever increasing health care costs.

There are some major issues that seem like the negotiating committee has just given up on. For decades.

ColtF15

And in 1993 you HAD to retire at 60, so a stop gap medical coverage affecting all pilots was a priority for almost all pilots except those on tricare. Now that you can retire as medicare picks up the tab, it is an option to retire before 65. If you want it, plan for it.

Nearly every Captain I have flown with has said something to the affect of “Why would I retire early? Now I have more vacation, more control of my schedule and make the most money? This is what I have been waiting for. If it goes to age 67, I’m stayin.”

Not a single one has said, “ yeah if only my retirement medical premium compensation was better you could be sitting here. “

I don’t like to give Alpa much credit, but I like their focused negotiation approach, and this isn’t an issue we should be putting a lot of effort into.

Stay informed, call your block reps, fill out the surveys, safely execute the contract. That is our responsibility. The NC needs us to do our part so they can do theirs.

busdriver12

Totally disagree. Just because it’s an issue you haven’t thought about or asked people about doesn’t mean it’s not relevant.

Ask these senior people you’re flying with if they’re concerned about paying the high cost of health care, and unless they have Tricare or spousal insurance, see what answer you get. Paying for the buyup next year costs about 30K for pilot and spouse, and goes up (and nobody knows how much) every year. It’s a huge expense, and yes, it matters. You shouldn’t have to wait over 30 years to renegotiate the obvious things.

StarClipper

The block reps don’t listen, their minds are already made up. When you voice your concerns or give an opinion, you get lectured or scolded on how much you don’t know and how informed and smart they are.

Noworkallplay

Exactly! How could you not set some money aside through out your career to plan for all retirement costs. Sounds like a poor retirement preparation plan on some pilots parts and they want everyone to pay it now for them. Not top on my list.

FXLAX

If that’s the argument you are going to stand by then what about the fact that the retirement age changed in 2014. So what about the lack of benefit increase within those two decades? I mean, if you are going to argue that when the retiree benefit was last negotiated (1993), you had to retire at 60, then it goes to reason that at the very least you would be for increasing that benefit commensurate with the amount of time between when it was last negotiated to when the regiment age changed, right?

Noworkallplay

Not high on my or many’s list I bet. Plan ahead.

judgef16

The A fund was around prior to 1999 at 50% of the high 5. This retirement was in the old Flight Crew member Handbook. Therefore, it was never “negotiated” by the union. Rather, it was rubber stamped into the first contract. It is important to note that a new hire in 1973 that obtained 25 years of service could retire in 1998 at the same payout that is received today. A company that has a fiduciary responsibility would not construct a retirement plan without planning for an increased payout well into the future. The cost of inflation would indeed be factored into the financial management of the pilots retirement plan. Therefore, we should not accept the union perspective that the company will not increase the cap on the A Fund. The union works for the membership…..not the other way around!

ColtF15

Are we talking about the contracts between 1993 and 2014 or the one we are negotiating now? That is old news/water under the bridge. Why dwell on the past negotiations when we need to focus on what matters most to most people in a focused approach. Not what mattered 7 years ago. Time to move on.

As Judge pointed out, a pilot hired in 73 retired in 98 has the same benefit we all have today! In a word: unsat. Never mind that he can stay till 65 when, medicare picks up. That is insignificant in comparison to a total retirement package. Lack of improvement in the A-plan affects all pilots all the time and was priority one in the focused negotiation approach.

Break break: As I mentioned in my post, every captain I fly with I ask what their thoughts are on what needs to be improved in the CBA and what their retirement plans are. It is my second contract at a global airline and first one here, I am trying to gather data and to make informed decisions. None of them mention retiree health care. I’m sure that is a consideration for some, and I’m not trying to be divisive here. I am trying to focus the discussion and concentrate our efforts to what matters most to most pilots. That line of thinking happens to support what the Union is saying. You can’t fight and die on every hill all at once. You have to be strategic in your thinking or you are going to run this out forever. And as Merle pointed out, inflation is nearly 7%. In other words, every day we don't have a contract we are taking a 7% pay cut. Keep it focused.