I'm approaching 1500 hours and trying to decide where to go with quite a bit of caution. I've paid a lot of money, spent a lot of time, blood, and sweat to get to where I am, and if I can't be compensated appropriately, going to the regionals is not even in consideration as I've already got a decent aviation job. So many regionals are entirely out of the running due to the way they operate, treat and pay pilots - there's zero chance I'd go to Republic or Mesa, for example. If this AIP is voted in, it's going to be very tough for the company to attract pilots like me when I basically have my pick of the litter - why wouldn't I go where I get the best QoL and pay? So many of my friends have been 7+ year FOs, I sure as heck am not going to count on any kind of flow through agreement. I can tell you that making poverty wages for an uncertain amount of time because of some stick and carrot on a moving target is not going to attract myself, or other pilots like myself that are sitting on the fences trying to decide to go with the regionals or continue our aviation careers in other directions. So I guess the point I'm trying to make is.. I think we pilots ought to know what we're worth and if Eagle agrees to a very poor 10 year concessionary contract, I think it'll be extremely tough to recruit pilots like me, which means cancelled flying like Republic or Lakes when you can't staff the airplanes. Sorry if that comes off as cocky or something, that's not how I intend it, it's just... I can go anywhere, so if you really want to attract me, good pay, benefits, QoL are the way to do it as well as some kind of career progression path.
Guys like Brian Bedford will never understand that - they think the answer is just simply changing the law back so they can simply hire less experienced people. And I admit, sure, at 300 hours if you would have put me in the right seat in a shiny jet, I probably would have done it for less. I had a lot less invested at that point - but nearing 1500, I've been slogging it out for awhile now doing grunt work, I've paid some dues (even if I have more to go), and not being treated appropriately is not that appealing.