Yes, I remember. But who made those posts? A small minority of people who post here or the majority of us as you have suggested? I don't really know, but my guess is was the former.

I am positive I've never posted we'd have a fast deal, it makes no sense. We are a business expense to management; nothing more and nothing less, despite their empty rhetoric about "best pilots in the industry" BS. I'm not saying we can't make gains in a contract negotiation, but if costs go up significantly without anything in return then why would they ever agree? It would be like asking management if they want to pay $2.00 per gallon of fuel or $4.00 for the "best fuel in the industry". Fortunately unlike gasoline, pilots can take definitive actions to help encourage the company to change their tune a bit. It is my opinion that if we want the deal we deserve, then we won't get it until either profits or the stock price suffer as a result of our actions.

I believe the only road to a relatively fast deal will have sections that include unsavory bits that would make it difficult to pass. I haven't seen the surveys so I can't claim to know the will of the pilot group. The company and ALPA need to win over the 'middle third' swing voters like me. I won't lie over and play dead like the yes voters on TA15 did, but I also don't require restoration+.

In another post before the NMB put us in timeout somebody posted a rumor of 17/4/4 with ZERO concessions and I said something to the effect of "don't tease me" to which somebody else immediately ridiculed. In 3 years we'll wish we had 17/4/4 to tide us over as we fought among our ourselves and with management while earning an additional 0/0/0. EDIT: not that I think the company will give us something for nothing without us applying significant pressure.