After 9 years at these so-called “stepping stones,” I’m done with viewing them as such. When you are moving passengers who bought tickets from American Airlines on airplanes that are owned by American Airlines, and are even the same type rating as those actually operated by pilots of American Airlines (our shiny new 175s are the same type rating as Mainline’s 190s), you should be PAID the same as pilots at American Airlines who are doing the SAME JOB. $88 and hour for new-hire FOs and $161 an hour for DECs is fair for the same work. Stop viewing yourselves as anything less than what you are truly worth. If AA is willing to pay those rates for pilots who have AA employee numbers to operate the Embraer 170/190 type while moving their passengers, then we should expect nothing less. After all, equal work means equal pay in The United States Of America.