Haha! You'll be happy to know that most of the poolies I'm in contact with are on board with protecting the dignity of our profession and the preservation of our self worth. I commend you and support your group for the amount of pain you suffered over the past 14 years and still did your job like the consummate professionals that you are. You deserve better and I do have high hopes for this group. I'm by no means a hard liner, although from some of the responses I've gotten I'm starting to feel like some think I am. What happened to our profession to make one think that voting no to a contract that lags our peers significantly is a bad thing?

I used to fly for a guy named Connie Kalitta for 7 years .We signed a contract back in 2007 but gave away some daily credit protection and reduced some work rules. While I didn't vote because I was ineligible on probation, I was thrilled about the 1st year pay raise. The end result was a higher pay scale but lower w-2s for everyone because our pay protections and value of a day was reduced to nothing. We worked longer periods of time for the same pay. Today in 2015 I'm watching this exact same scenario unfold at AA, and I want you to heed this warning that the pay rates are a distraction. Your QOL is at risk, and in times of such economic prosperity if you want to sell it, make them pay for it.