I know a thing or two about poverty level wages, I'm an FO at the lowest paying regional in the country. And it sucks, but concider this: If everyone made a descent wage (what you think you should be paid) the company you work for would go Tango Uniform (BK) very quickley.

Look at United guys, before the last time they entered BK, those pilots got the best and bigest contract of the indusrty and shortly put that company into BK. I'm not trying to slam UAL guys or any other major airline pilots, you/ we are hard working profesionals and deserve to compensated acordingly. I understand that that there was more to those guys going into BK like, cough, CEO salaries, stock options/dividends, and millions in unwarented bonuses, cough.

When negotiating for a new contract the union/pilot group must find a happy medium with the company. It should be the union who analizes the quarterly and anual reports. If you take too much you may not have a job to come to one day, and if you take too little your QOL is terible.