Originally Posted by
paxhauler85
You're forgetting a very important part of this equation: scope. Mainline carriers have scope language that prevents the airline from transferring their airplanes to other carriers. Regional carriers don't have this language; never have. In many cases this is due to having no leverage to get it, since the parent or code share airline owns the airplanes the regional flies.
During the last round of contract negotiations, Compass tried to secure language that tied us to our (at the time) 42 airplanes. This was a non-starter because Delta owns the airplanes and they don't want to be limited in their ability to make moves like AA is currently doing.
A likely response would be, "tell them we won't sign a deal without this scope language." Unfortunately, the mainline carrier will then pack up and take its airplanes elsewhere.
That's my whole point. No FFD owns ANY work. Promise of airplanes to fly (until they decide to move them) is an impossible condition to negotiate fair contracts, or ever be an equal-status union pilot, if other pilots have the protection of true scope. That's the failure of ALPA! FFD conferences to discuss this will not ever improve anything if the best they can figure to do is have the MEC chairman write a letter that basically tells the leaving scum pilots to not leave because it makes you look scummy, even if you think it will help you skip the cue to mainline.
My slam at TSA is at the new hire guys
leaving one ALPA carrier to chase the same freaking job (soon same airplanes) at another. Call them scums if you care, whatever. How does that make you a good ALPA pilot? How does chasing promise of quick PIC help the position of fellow pilots you choose to abandon at your current airline? How is that not scabbing, if you are weakening fellow pilots to advance yourself? New list of names should be taken.