FO pay and scope are very important, but please don't totally focus on just a few items. I have heard too many people focusing on only a couple of sections, and very very few focusing on the single most important part of the contract. LANGUAGE LANGUAGE LANGUAGE. I wouldn't care if the FO's pay goes to 90% of captains and "AirTran" flying is done by "AirTran" pilots. If the language is so weak that you have to ask 'whats this really mean' then none of it matters. Once you get language that binds BOTH parties, then you can evaluate what the contract really says. And in evaluating, please remember that the contract has many sections that must all be weighed together as a hole. If the scope is 'perfect' but FO pay is a little short of your goal, will you weigh the fact that maybe retirement is a little higher and medical costs go down, or will you just vote no? We all need to have priorities, but if there is absolutely no flexibility in those priorities then we are no better than those sitting across the table or those who don't inform themselves and vote.
The other thing thats been pissing me off lately is how so many of you have resorted to school yard debates on the subject. 'You threw the FO's under the bus.' 'Did you even read the whole TA?' 'Your an ass.' 'Your a dick weed.' Maybe you could say 'I voted no because of X,Y, and Z.' And someone else could respond 'I understand X,Y, and Z but feel that Q,R and S make up for that and yada, yada, yada' That might actually be helpful to the process.