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I am still on the fence on this one.
On the one hand I am very disappointed at the pay rates at year 4. I feel/was expecting the rates at year 4 to at LEAST equal pre-Kasher.
That being said the rates at year 1 are higher than what I was anticipating. There is a big difference between 16%/1.5/1.5/1.5 (what we got) and 5.5/5.5/5.5/5.5 which is how I was expecting our raises to be structured.
The signing bonus is about half what I would have wanted...
In my opinion one of the big devils burried in the details is the fact that we are cutting out all future new hires from having the A-plan option. 30 years from now who is going to be on property to protect whatever benefit I may choose to take from it. Do you think a bunch of non DB'ers are going to give up any negotiating capital to help preserve our future DB benefits. Maybe that's just one more reason to pick option C...which, by the way, has a DC amount that is WAY to low considering the normal replacement for an A plan is about 15% + or - 1 or 2 and since we already HAD a 3% DC this means I would want to see an 17-19% DC for me to accept a soft freeze on my pension.
As far as the new reserve system...Aside from the obvious benefit of 3 hours of pay and an extra day off I don't think I'm liking this long call short call stuff. I wanted our reserve system fixed not gutted. I like the concept of the current system except I don't want to lose my 'R' days so easy, I want the order of assignments less arbitrary, and I want them to PAY if they take me out of my zone to give me an assignment (even with a 12 hour notice). This TA takes away all my R days and doesn't do anything to address the other two problems I mentioned.
This may seem like I should be a clear "no" from my posts, however the things that put me on the fence are...
1. Timing - the economy sucks and we are the first ones out of the gate. The solution is to either sit here and wait with these REALLY crap wages until a couple of other airlines get better rates and the economy improves, increasing our leverage or take this imperfect TA and wait 5-6 years at better wages that won't seem so much better by the time the 4 years are up. Unfortunately we work under the RLA and in spite of the rumors out there, I do not belive that the NMB will release any pilot group to self help while the economy is in the mess that it is in right now.
2. MEC recommendation - I wasn't at these negotiating sessions and I don't know what the exchanges were to get where we are with this TA...and the people that do know, who's pay is also going to be affected by this TA...are saying yes unanimously and haven't been given any reason to doubt their judgment.
Anyway...I guess you can count me as a definite maybe.
I Alaska going to be part of Delta ?
There have been some rumors flying around and I was curious if anyone has heard this one?
Might wanna check the rates on the SWA TA, and they don't have 800/900's!
Yogi
Is that what is wrong with our proposed rates?? Those are for the -700. I guess they forgot to publish the -800 and -900 rates. Also while we are at it the -400 holds more people than the -700 so where are those rates going to fall?
All I am saying is that the 800/900 (and the 400, as per you) both carry more pax=more revenue and deserve higher pay as they do at CAL. Perhaps your scale should be higher than SWA. Not getting into a rates pissing match, just saying you guys at AL deserve more...Don't settle, take it back!!!
Yogi
Well, it's kinda your business since it will have a minor impact in CAL's and other upcoming negotiations. And you're right..it is a POS. But I am afraid it will get voted in because I personally believe most Alaska pilots are afraid of the possibility of a strike and will take the (pathetic) money and run...which will stagnate hiring and upgrades for a couple more years.Alaska pilots, this is your T/A and it really isn't any of my business. But as member of the CAL MEC, I posted the following on our CALFORUMS private message board.
FYI my two cents:
I just read the entire TA summary put out by the ALASKA MEC that was posted on another internet pilot forum.
If I vote to approve at T/A as weak as that POS, or don't use our LEC170 Communications Machine (see LEC 170 Go Forward Plan) to try educate our members to shoot down such a pathetic and weak POS TA, please drag me to the nearest field to be stoned to my death by the membership.
CAL management:
Since I know you read this forum. I am not for sale and I can't be bought, I would first take a job cleaning the bathrooms at McDonalds before I would ever lower myself to working for CAL Management. I demand an industry leading contract by all accounts with massive gains in each and every section, to include AA, SWA, FEDEX and UPS.
I personally look forward to “not killing the golden goose, but choking it by the neck until it lays every last egg”, to quote my mentor Rick Dubinsky.
PS. I also look forward to making your lives absolutely miserable in the process. After 22 years at this airline working under the “Friends of Fred” you absolutely deserve nothing less.
FUPM
DARMA