Insomniac
It's because of people like you that our salaries are in the toilet. keep up the hard work of brainwashing our colleagues to believe that they are worthless.
I didn't say they were worthless, I said that their value is determined by the market, not by some imaginary standard dreamed up by pilots with an over-inflated sense of their own importance.
A few years ago I was asked to do some contract flying. I didn't really want to, so I named my price - around 150% of the normal rate. To my surprise, I got it, because at the time there were very few experienced captains on that particular type. Today, I would be lucky to get 50% of the normal rate, and I'd have to go to somewhere distinctly unpleasant to even get that.
You are only worth what your value is to your employer. Any other measure of what you should be paid is a complete waste of time.
If you want more, by all means attempt to negotiate it. Let us know how you get on...
