I have two Captain friends at XJT that state their acceptable contract gains are 20% increases to pay. Now, assuming they both earn about $80/hr, a 20% increase takes you to $96/hr!!! C'mon guys, really!!! You may think that is what a 50 seat RJ captain should be worth........but, where in the marketplace is that amount paid?
What year are they at? At the new Pinnacle/Mesaba contract, a CRJ-200 tops out at 20th year at around $101/hr. And yes, I think a 20th year top Captain at XJT should be paid more than $96/hr.
BUT, as has been said many times before, the hourly rate is only one SMALL part of the overall picture. It's all the soft pay and rules that can really help make (or break) a new contract.