Interesting thread... I wish you all luck...
We are going through contract negotiations over here on the other side of the pond too and ours is looking somewhat bleak right now...
The govt. wants to cut back and there is NOTHING about any sort of increase. Right now if the govt. has thier way with us, we are looking at a five year pay freeze with NO cost of living increases at all as well as no incentive bonuses for doing well. The also want to do away with all of our differentials (additional pay to our base pay, what I think you are refering to when you say spine.). They want to do away with night differential which is 10% for working between 1800 and 0600. (All differentials in the US are paid for actual time worked by the minute.) Training differential which is 10% and is only for time plugged in, which is normally in the five hour or plus range for a day. Sunday pay which is 25% for working the sunday. CIC pay which is controller in charge which you get if working the supervisors position, this is also 10%.
On top of this they want to start a B-scale for new hires to come in at a lesser pay band which will always be lower than what we get today. The new hires at the academy used to get GS-7 pay plus what we call per diem for when you travel. Today the folks get GS-1 with no per diem. They are elligible for govt. assistance for the poor while working there to give you an indication what the pay is like...
I feel for y'all's plight both in pay and with the ATSA issue. (We did away with most of our ATSA's long ago as they weren't deemed as useful as having a full controller by the FAA.)
Take care and Merry Christmas to all of you...
regards
Scott