We all have a say, because if there is going to be a lump sum payout, the cost is going to come out of potential gains in other areas of the contract. And since so few will benefit to the detriment of others, that cost matters to everyone.

As to your other points, I don’t really see UNAs continually begging for sympathy. There was certainly a lot of uncertainty, but basically everything was outside our control. If you’re mad about people having 18 months of a paid vacation, then aim your angst at the company who completely botched our staffing in a seeming effort to both take a jab at the pilot group and placate the FAs so they wouldn’t unionize. I’m not mad at people just because things worked out well for them during the pandemic. I’m not mad at people who have been here a long time and have tons of cool stuff. When you boil it down the plus up proposal is an unemotional math calculation. You can’t tell people to p*ss off when we bring up “emotional” arguments against the plus up when you emotionally attack the UNAs (some of whom I’m sure are blockheads about it).

In the end the pilot group was willing to make a small mathematical sacrifice for the potential furloughees (covering COBRA), but basically took no financial hit (unless you view a reduction in TLV range a hit) due to the bailouts and rapid recovery. Now people are being asked to make a potentially much larger sacrifice for a small group of pilots, and all I’m asking is for someone to make a mathematical argument why we should do so.

How many pilots would actually get a lump sum? How much would those lump sums total up to? These questions need answers before just agreeing to a program carte blanch.