Not the guy you asked, but...
1) Raises seem way too little considering it's basically the same wages as the previous contract, but after 5 years of inflation and in the middle of a strong economy. Hell, that contract was before my time, but IIRC, it's also basically the same raises as the contract before that as well. So we're effectively getting weaker raises in a stronger economy in the middle of record profits.
2) We should be starting the minimum at $15, not $13. That one is more of a local issue, hopefully ours changes this because people are currently getting hired at $15 and this contract isn't gonna be appealing to these people at all.
3) Our great FT job opportunities now feature being a second class driver with no protections and less money.
4) Pension is cool, especially if I plan on staying part time forever. FT is where you go if you really want a solid pension though.
Basically, 22.4s are a crap deal that should be considered a concession, new hires get screwed, and the rest of it is decent, but not good enough.
Where I'm currently sitting, if this contract gets voted in or gets forced through, it won't be the worst thing in the world for me. I'll continue to get raises, I'll get a better pension, and I guess I'll just wait until enough people retire I get a good inside combo job.
over future contract negotiations. The union is probably gonna have to fight to fix problems that should never have been created in the first place (like adding 9.5 protections to 22.4s, or fixing their top scale), and will likely be doing that instead of fighting for something else that current PTers and/or FTers want. And we'll get another contract or two where we're basically spinning our wheels in the mud while the union and company pat themselves on the back over how much progress they've made.
