I'm not sure how many have rooted through the new TA'd contract, but here's a sampling of the Pay Cornerstone:

Under the old contract, not considering seat movement or longevity increases, the actual pay increases worked out to 3.3% per year.
Under the TA'd contract, same considerations, the actual pay increases work out to be 3.5% from Jun04 to Oct06 (to get the 9% "raise"), then 3.0% per year after that.
We actually LOSE money during years 3 and 4 under the new system.
For pay purposes, we would have been AHEAD OF THE GAME to have simply asked the company to extend the previous contract's pay increase provisions for six more years.

The "Signing Bonus" works out to just over 3.3% per year pay increases during the interim between contracts, not even the 3.5% used to get to our 9% "raise"

In Jun04, if the company had offered a 3.3% raise yearly for 29 months followed by a 3% raise yearly for 4 more years, would we have taken it? As far as the Pay Cornerstone issue goes, we have, at best, run in place. I can find no quantifiable difference between what the TA contains and what we would have had just extending the previous contract. I'd be HAPPY to have someone check my math and prove me wrong...

Mike