Ah another one of your nostalgic "back when I walked up hill to school and home both ways in the snow" trips down memory lane posts. There are lots of us, me included, who remember those times just like you. You liked that environment run by the Saving Continental Again Brotherhood representatives and MEC? I'm sure the company will be happy when you forgo your health care and all those pay and benefit gains today and send money back to them. I'll be generous though: you can keep the $16,000 adjusted for inflation to today's dollar as I wouldn't want you to "struggle" as an aviation professional. I'm sure that's more than enough for Microsoft Flight Sim missions in your parents' basement.