I didn't keep it in the context you wanted me to keep it in. You guys may have gotten used to controlling the message through your official DALPA communications and on the old DALPA Forum, but you can't do it here.

I really, honestly, do not care what anyone else makes. 50% above the 2004 MD-88 Captain rate would put me at $356/hour. Yes, I would be more than happy with that! It's more than I even expect. This isn't a competition. This is about getting appropriate compensation for the job we do, the responsibility we have, and for the sacrifices we've all made to get to this point in our careers. Whether you look at 2004 (C2K) rates or, for example, 1986 rates... they come out about the same in terms of buying power. There was a standard of living provided by this profession that was pretty well established for decades. That standard of living was decimated through the bankruptcy process. And DALPA has spent the past almost decade acting as if bankruptcy has established a "new normal." There's lots of blame to go around for why we took the cuts in the first place. But like many things in life, it's how you respond to adversity that really defines you. At this point, I believe most of the blame lies squarely at the feet of DALPA. They have responded very poorly.

A 34% pay cut is not appropriate today. I don't think it was even appropriate for bankruptcy (it was too much), but it's certainly not appropriate now with our company making billions in profits!