Again to many of these comments sound logical and intellectual but lack the realworld experience of just getting a raise. Always Always Always you will be told "we just don't have the money" That cost savings is a competitive advantage management will cling to for dear life. You want to take about financials good luck. Most of us have little ability to understand the subtle nuances of where they are sweeping the money. It would require a special kind of naivety to think they are not.

I don't want people in our Union who say things like this. It's delusional It's like going to a car dealer and paying sticker price on a car because If you negotiate a better you could put the car dealer out of business. YOUR NOT BRINGING THAT KIND OF TALENT TO THE TABLE. It's like not going to a fashion show because your worried about being sexually harassed by the super models. THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN EITHER. We (the pilot group) need you to fight tooth and nail for every dime, and part of that is knowing these people will feed you "we can't afford to give you a raise" line of BS and negotiating through it. The problem I and many of us have is the distinct lack of action and effort. The constant drum beat of "you can't get a raise they don't have any money" It's dis arming it says don't worry about this it's trying to convince you that asking and negotiating is a waisted effort so why bother. I see this attitude from our leadership. I wonder what they are waiting for, What is the catalyst. From what I could see last time it was hiring. We couldn't grow because we couldn't hire. With the never ending stream of Cadets. That is not going to be it this time. So how are we going to drag them to the table in any meaningful way? IDK

I can tell you what will NEVER get them to the table is saying "we just not making any money right now so why bother" Which is exactly why we are where we are right now. Nothing is getting done because there is no pressure there is no advantage to getting us a contract it's all costs and no benefit, and until that math changes ... no contract
Even massive profits won't change that.