I'm growing tired of the "don't expect much from your first contract" rhetoric. This sounds like a phrase that was coined by Ford & Harrison, much like the jewelry industry telling unsuspecting men that they have to spend "3 months salary" on an engagement ring. There is zero rationale for either of these.

We are dealing with a management team that has made themselves extremely wealthy by skimping on compensation, staffing, and infrastructure for over 15 years. They have publicly admitted to shareholders that they are going to be so awash with cash due to the price of oil, that they will not know what to do with it all. This isn't about not being able to pay. It's about not WANTING to pay or to even acknowledge the contributions of a pilot group who make this operation successful not because of management, but in spite of it. However, all of the hoping and wishing does nothing without action. Although we are a gnat in the grand scheme of things, the rest of the industry will be watching to see how we handle this perilous slide to the bottom. Cheap oil, huge airline profits, and an improving pilot job market are upon us. There will probably never be a time like this in our careers again. Why would we waste it by settling for 2007 wages?