Probably also makes sense that a lot of new hires are Colgan pilots already typed on the Saab (from what I've heard). They did this to save money and I cant say that I blame them. However, from the contract:
A Pilot will be pay protected when a junior Pilot is advanced to his new Status (Base, Equipment Type and Seat Position) before a more senior Pilot is advanced to the same Status. This pay protection will be at 100% of line value that the Pilot would have held in that new Status. If a Pilot declines training in seniority, he will forfeit eligibility for pay protection.
If thats the case, the entire pilot group should be making Saab pay.