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I think the point that he's trying to drive home is that at some stage the disparity in income becomes nothing less than comparative servitude despite the equal requirements both parties have to meet, rank for rank. If the distinction you are making is because of leaving family behind, and I'm assuming you are excluding spouse and children, then there are plenty of those in the CEP rank who are the same, myself included. As you pointed out, things have changed recently with the opening up of the CEP program globally, and bear in mind that all of these changes have put CEPs further down the pecking order but which have galvanised a refusal to remain passive in the wake of these changes. By this I mean: the introduction of the instructor course in ADL, these guys will have more hours in bugsmashers than some in the regular courses but zero turbine time plus a 4 year jumpstart to the CX seniority list; the global CEP program, no guarantee of slots for the local hongers anymore, which is what it was originally designed for as kids here have zero opportunity to mow lawns while working their way through flight school; the CEP KA FOs who are now receiving a 'special allowance' but who I also believe are entitled to exactly the same living standard as their colleagues <12 K is nice, but simply not the same>; the SLS deduction which carried a 7% penalty to overall income v.s expats' estimated 3.5% (average numbers, and granted this point will be moot if we get it back); an FOC ticket with 11Y priority to get back to work vs 4Y, an education allowance which does not allow us to send our kids overseas unlike the expat package, the years of service that the Prestwick guys had to do before being allowed to join the seniority list.....and this is not even an exhaustive comparison. Bearing these in mind, is it not understandable why the CEPs are fed up at being treated like second class nothings, not just by the company but even by some of the guys they have to work with?