Original Message

Back in the day, at a different colored helicopter company, we used to get a pay raise (step increase) and also they gave us a cost of living adjustment mid year to adjust for increased cost of living. ... As it should be. A step increase isn't supposed to be an attempt to keep you up with inflation, its supposed to increase your quality of life as you continue to work with the company. Using the posted scale and the actual inflation rates, the pay should have went up at least $15,000 to keep up with the last 5 years cost of living (for a step one IFR captain). The actual pay increase on the chart is way less than half of that. So, the argument that a step increase is supposed to offset inflation doesn't hold any water. Plus, for those that are at the top of the scale, they are effectively losing money every year they work. I only use the last 5 years in this particular case because we haven't gotten a cost of living adjustment for several years. I know.... A company can't pay money they don't have, bankruptcy, etc... But, as an employee, in an ideal world, I would expect to increase my quality of life the longer I work for a company, not have a harder time paying the same bills. I don't think that is unreasonable to ask.