30% may just mean getting inflation back
Once I included inflation over the last and likely this contract for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area (assuming 3% going forward - higher than national target but Seattle is likely to be) this contract would then mean basically just getting some inflation back. That assumes inflation is 1.25 lower than it has been here and the engineering would only barely break even half way through. This is worse for techs after the last contract but they could catch up from inflation.
30% sounds big, but there is a fair chance it is under inflation still and engineering has essentially been loaning the company money by being under inflation for a while. This also gives the engineering average almost no split of an increase for business efficiency of improved knowledge individually year to year.
It makes sense this is their initial offer. Once they see the vote that will give them a sense of if they have to beat that by much, but it seems to me percentage wise they and letting SPEEA argue with ourselves/inflation.
People should try and talk in purchasing power not percent as much as possible.