Welp, unions are shooting for the stars and hitting some of them lately. American pilots were going to sign a new contract at first, but then they got airline envy.

In March, those rival Delta guys had done pretty well for themselves…

Delta pilots have officially ratified a new contract, with 78% of pilots voting in favor of it. With this contract, we’ll see pilots at the Atlanta-based airline getting a huge pay bump. This new contract is worth $7.2 billion in value over the course of four years.

This new contract includes significant pay increases, both retroactively and going forward:

• Pilots will immediately receive an 18% pay increase, as of the day the contract is signed

• Pilots will then receive a 5% pay increase one year after that

• Pilots will then receive two 4% pay increases in the two years that follow

• Pilots will receive a one-time payment of 4% of 2020 and 2021 pay, plus a 14% payment of 2022 pay

• In the event that American or United negotiate a contract with better pay, Delta will get that pay matched, plus 1%

On top of that, pilots will get quality-of-life improvements, which will make up roughly one-quarter of the value of the overall agreement. This includes things like 10 weeks of paid maternity leave, two weeks of paid paternal leave, significantly improved crew meals, improved health insurance, and more. Interestingly this contract also includes a provision that “establishes medical freedom protections.” Oh my…

…so naturally the American talks fell apart.

American increased the pot last month and the talking was on. No particulars available yet, but you know it has to look very similar to Delta’s. The 21% bump in pay goes into effect immediately.

American Airlines pilots have approved a new contract that will raise their pay about 41% over four years, their union said Monday.

The Allied Pilots Association said that 73% of pilots who took part voted in favor of the four-year contract, which it valued at $9.6 billion.

…The Allied Pilots Association said its new contract with American includes $1.1 billion in one-time payments and ratification bonuses and immediate pay raises averaging 21%. Annual raises, plus increased company contributions to retirement plans will raise the value of total compensation by 46% over four years, according to the union.

It also includes more vacation benefits and changes designed to give pilots more predictable schedules, the union said.

But you can make educated an guess. Keep in mind these are not 40 hour work weeks. I think, if I remember my Daddy’s Eastern Airlines captain’s hours, they log about 80 flight hours a month. Plus there’s probably twice that spent on flight plans, weather, bucketloads of mandated FAA crew rest, safety regulations, etc. So a wide body Capt, who normally would be pretty dang senior to begin with, would be at about $400K a year.

…Pilots at major airlines often make six-figure salaries. Pay rates under American’s new contract range from about $108 an hour for a new hire to over $417 an hour for an experienced wide-body captain, and are due to rise to match rivals’ pay once United’s agreement is ratified.

The deals leave Southwest Airlines as the last of the four major U.S. carriers not to have reached at least a preliminary agreement with pilots. Southwest’s pilots last month sought to be released from federally mediated contract talks—a step toward a strike—but their request was denied

After the monster contract just pulled off by the Teamsters at UPS, and with what the UAW has set its sights on for the auto industry, it’s no wonder the CNBC headline on the sidebar for this story caught my eye.

American workers are demanding almost $80,000 a year to take a new job

YOWSAHS

The amount of money most workers want now to accept a job reached a record high this year, a sign that inflation is alive and well at least in the labor market.

According to the latest New York Federal Reserve employment survey released Monday, the average “reservation wage,” or the minimum acceptable salary offer to switch jobs, rose to $78,645 during the second quarter of 2023.

That’s an increase of about 8% from just a year ago and is the highest level ever in a data series that goes back to the beginning of 2014. Over the past three years, which entails the Covid-19 pandemic era, the level has risen more than 22%.

The number is significant in that wages increasingly have been recognized as a driving force in inflation. While goods prices have abated since pushing overall inflation to its highest level in more than 40 years in mid-2022, other factors continue to keep it well above the Fed’s targeted rate of 2%.

Inflationary? Ya THINK?!

*American Air Pilots Approve Record Contract With Higher Pay

Every one of these is extremely visible. They get into the public eye for a reason. Others want the same.

Hello wage spiral… pic.twitter.com/X1f4n6ub0a

— Paulo Macro (@PauloMacro) August 21, 2023

I don’t care if I’m the straw that breaks the economy’s back at this point – I’m calling Ed.

I’m getting mine while there’s some to be got.