When you compare RAH 50 seat pay to other airlines' 50 seat pay, you see that the RAH pay rate is on par with the rest of the industry. A CHQ FO makes more than some 50 seat FOs, and less than others. Remember than when the FO pay rate was negotiated, the 50 seat RJ was the biggest plane on RAH property. An appropriate wage was negotiated in the eyes of the people who flew that airplane. The flaw was in that the same pay rate was allowed to carry over to any larger airplane that RAH might acquire down the road. But, it was hard to justify wasting negotiating capital on the FO pay of planes not even ordered, especially when the rates for the actual aircraft on property were as good as most everyone else's.