Originally Posted by
Flamer
That is a really poor analogy. The past and present contributions are better viewed as a good faith investment in your company rather than a write down on an accounting sheet. While I agree sometimes you don't get back what you give, your INVESTMENTS in you career are not just inputs on a balance sheet at the end of the day.
It doesn't matter how you view your "investment in your company". If you make decisions based on what you've lost in those investments you are probably making poor economic decisions.
" Restoration" is a good talking point but it's hardly a negotiating strategy. Where is the leverage in "restoration"? We have leverage. The company is making billions, the other majors have comparable contracts, and the company values labor harmony enough to talk about it with investors. That's a really good negotiating environment. It may or may not be enough to get to " restoration". It may be enough to get more than "restoration". Who knows?
When the TA or strike vote is in front of you you should be asking "is this the best deal we can get given the current situation?" instead of "does this make up for what I've lost?". If you say no to the second question and it turns out the answer to the first question is yes, you've left money on the table. In other words you've made a poor economic decision.