On a couple of fronts.

1. It has caused many in our pilot group to have lowered expectations. You see it here all the time from the "ALPA apologists." You know... all the arguments about what Delta can or cannot afford. Whether an XX% increase is "reasonable" or not. These folks are either not dealing in mathematical reality, or they have given up on restoration. That kind of mentality can only serve to handicap us as we engage in negotiations to try and restore the value of our careers.

2. We are pretty much "on record" indicating that our pilot group is pretty happy with the way things are right now. Lee Moak so much as said it in his final letter as MEC Chairman when he bragged about our pay being back to where it was before bankruptcy! Tremendously misleading statement... and we all know the truth... but the average person in the media and, to an extent, the average person in management could easily read that statement and conclude that an agreement with very small pilot cost increases (in other words, something that would in no way be restorative) would be pretty easy to sell to our pilot group. Again, I think the tone that has been set will work against us in negotiations.