Sailing,
This is what happens when you have a your side vs. my side argument. There are a lot of things you, acl, and pineapple, are saying to justify asking for less. I might have missed a few key points with you, but I am hitting the nail on the head against the points you and the others present to justify your,"let's take two bites at the apple approach." I don't think you fully addressed any of my points, though. I'll leave it at that, for now.
Will I support what the membership wants? Sure. But, I don't think that has ever been the issue. I will use every means to increase whoever I come in contact with to increase their expectations for the next contract, if they are lower than mine, though.
For the people I come in contact with at work, that has not been a problem. I haven't had to do it one time. They all want restoration, which is apparently the opposite of what you are running into. I don't know why we are sensing different attitudes around campus.
I speculate that maybe your FO's are a little hesitant to tell you what they want after you give your "Delta Air Lines cannot survive restoration because the employees will be jealous and they can't afford it" speech. If I tried that, my FO's would tell me to go to hell.
But, if you think the majority of Delta pilots will idly sit by and not get madder and madder when Air Tran -- soon to be SWA -- pilots taxi by, then maybe I don't know Delta pilots. We will see. I hope you are wrong.
New K Now