I hear what you are saying and for the most part I agree with your sentiments.

A few salient points are in order for review:

1) There is NO contract. The 1% being offered is like walking down the sidewalk and having somebody offer you $1 with NO STRINGS ATTACHED. We can ask for another $1 or $5 or $20 the very next second. Personally if somebody offered me $1 on the sidewalk, I would take it, be grateful, and NOT say "Keep your $1 because you are not giving me $2."

2) Skywest pilots are FREE at any time to form a union under ALPA, Teamsters, In-House, whatever. We are also FREE to remain union-free. All of these things are true whether we accept or reject the 1% at issue.

3) This is not about work rules, quality of life, inequalities in the third world, starving children in Africa, etc. - it is about a pay increase being offered by Skywest management.

4) I understand the argument about Skywest cash reserves being used for lots of purposes other than paying the pilots more money for their NOT unique, but quickly and cheaply replaceable piloting services. Regardless I would much rather make industry standard wages with a management team that is able leverage our corporate profits and ACQUIRE other airlines. I don't want an industry leading pay scale that only weakens our competitive advantage in the industry. Comair is spelled C-O-M-A-I-R.

In the 121 airline business world, you always want to be the one doing the acquiring, instead of being the one acquired.

I truly wish all pilots, industry wide made made 30% more money. But the reality is we work in a commodity business.

One final perspective, for those that want to vote NO and decline the 1%, perhaps think of things this way:

If you vote yes, take a 1% pay raise, start working today to form a Union, say ALPA, get ALPA voted on property, and start paying ALPA 1.95% of your salary every two weeks, you will only be taking a PAY CUT of .95% for the next 3 to 5 years while ALPA negotiates an industry standard contract with St. George.

Hey, who am I to tell a person to not cut off their nose to spite their face.