Let's not forget that pay is only ONE of the issues to be settled in a new TA. (my that sounds good...new TA...doesn't it?) The pilots' surveys will tell our new leadership what to fight for, and I have no doubt that they will do their best, including hiring experts if they need to, to get the most for the most. That said,balance, gentlemen/pilots, is an important feature of any good contract. Balance is built upon a foundation of fairness, something that was conspicuously absent in the rejected (by 82%!) TA. (rejected...that sounds good, too)
On our NJWives board, pay is also discussed. I want to say that those wives are not being greedy; they have no wish to "bite the hand that feeds them". They just want to see their husbands treated/paid like the professionals they are. They want to be able to afford a newer car (many of us drive vehicles over 7 yrs old--my car is a 1990 model) live in a safe neighborhood (many became trapped in areas that have gone downhill as they waited for a new contract) and set money aside for their children's education (the mothers of teenagers are particularly worried about this). No one, that I know, is asking for a lavish lifestyle; but everyone I know expects a contract that is FAIR!
Note: We are not discriminating against the husbands of female NJ pilots--none have asked to join our support group. Should any do so, we'll gladly change our name to NJ Spouses Group.