Yeah...that will be the Great Lakes...sorry. Not where we need to go as a profession and not what will attract folks spending $150+ for ratings!

As for Bzzt and his "we don't have a pilot shortage"...yeah...we do. And yes, I've been in this industry long enough to have heard decades of the likes of Kit Darby saying it's coming. ALPA knows it but is positioning itself to see a consolidation. ALPA is also trying to protect (rightfully in my opinion at this point) the 1500 rule. And frankly, ALPA is a major airline union and until the majors have a hiring problem...ALPA won't see the problem.

As for our decision...it was the right one. So was ExpressJet/ASA and Republic. We need to get over this "we're a regional pilot so we're inferior "!@# stuff.

What's our power...stand up and say, "I'm a highly trained professional. I've spent untold years of training, thousands and thousands of dollars in education, and I deserve better". I WILL NOT ACCEPT POVERTY WAGES WITH A 10 YEAR TERM TO PERPETUATE THIS INDUSTRY.

You actually do have power...you have the skill that NOW is finally in demand. Time to insert a stiff piece of metal up the butt and demand, throughout this industry, that we are paid what we are worth. Good lord, I taught undergraduates that expected and GOT wages higher than our senior captains RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE. The era of 50K being a high wage for a highly skilled, trained, college educated individual who has spent what we spend on education and a degree are OVER. NO kid these days is gonna put up with that (and I'm not a kid---wish I were in my 30's again)...neither should we.