Originally Posted by
Anderson
Then why don't captain upgrades take a hit on their pay rates when they transition to the left seat, in order to cover training costs? First year pay rates are low because the UNION negotiates it that way. They use the savings to make gains elsewhere in the pay scales for more senior pilots.
Because FO>Captain upgrade pilots are represented by the union when they transition, unlike new hires. New hire pilots enjoy work rules negotiated by the union during their first year, but little else. In many ways they are unrepresented while on probation. Yes, the union does distribute the bulk of the negotiating capital across the widest cross-section of active members.