LOA has been offered.. it's not bad but I would wager a nice nickel that if the pilot group votes no it can and/or will be a lot better. Spun on it's head would be the next offer, this one it 'regional good' but will be below standard very shortly (As usual).

 

The main provisions include:

(1) Minimum guarantee for all aircraft now 4.2 credit hours per day. The Q400 has had this for a few years. The E175 did NOT, and the jet pilots really wanted it.
(2) Company-provided Health Savings Account contributions increased to pre-COVID levels. The union had a grievance out on this, so it's not really a contractual improvement per se.
(3) Our current 401(k) match of 6% is increased to 8-12%, depending on seniority.
(4) Pay and per diem override for Anchorage trips.
(5) Increased pay override for instructors and check airmen.
(6) Pilots participating in the "Pathways" program are no longer required to hand over all of their employment records to Alaska Air, EXCEPT stuff already required by PRIA.

It's a decent LOA, but hardly a game changer. It will probably pass.

I'm a mid-senior Q400 pilot. The LOA does very little for me, so I will vote "NO". What I really wanted was more money.

 

Cost of living rising faster than ever. I want to see new wages. It’ll be a NO from me. We can do better.

 

It doesn’t raise pay or QOL enough to get a yes from me. We live and work in an incredibly expensive area that’s running away from us.

 

This LOA does zero for me. I’m trying to get out and this is a “retention” LOA. It does nothing to retain me. If it added more days off, higher 401k, pay rates those of JetBlue 190s, I’d consider staying a few years. But it makes me want to get out faster as I’m under the 5 year mark in which the company states they don’t care about keeping pilots in my seniority range.

Why 4.2 min? Why not 5?

 

You did not mention the DIRECT contribution of 2%. While this doesn't sound like much, it's remarkable at the regional level.

The commuter benefits have improved, but still among the worst in the industry.

When I was on the Dash, I thought 4.2 on the Embraer was just jet pilot whining. The inefficiencies of the E trips is astonishing. 3-4 Deadheads PER TRIP, 30 hour overnights the norm, 11 days off per bid the norm. The days ARE easier than the 4 leg/4 airplane swap/4 hour SEA sit life on the Q, but the overall QOL is worse. 4.2 will help fix the trips.

Based on what I'm hearing, I disagree on the probability of passing. Everybody wanted more money.

 

2% direct contribution is $2500 a year or less for the majority. Just because it's never been done before at a regional doesn't make it great, and you'd make more money if they let you purchase more than 10% of the employee stock at the discount.... even after taxes. Not trying to retain anyone less than 5 years is asinine. There's plenty of interest out there to keep pilots that don't want to give up their seniority for commuting reasons (although that could be a moot point if all the majors go to positive space commuting), sitting reserve in a city you don't live and/or commute, hell all the QOL issues one faces for a while when moving on to a major. But it appears with no aircraft order there's no reason to try when you have lifers that will fill the seats of the 30 aircraft QX will lose with no replacements.

 

Is it only 2% DC? If so, that’s HARDLY unheard of at the regional level, at least for modern times.

 

You must be talking historically. As of today, to my knowledge, there isn't a DC at the regional level, only matching.

 

I see it on every one of my PSA paychecks, and that’s from our 2013 contract.