Originally Posted by
FirstClass
Having a good or great contract obviously helps address your needs and maybe will keep current pilots from leaving.
But isn't the real question how to attract new talent to RAH? I would hypothesize that a new contract, which will be industry standard at best, does nothing to get new people in the door which is desperately needed to keep RAH from shrinking.
I think the company has realized this, which is why they're now slowing the pace of negotiations. The most a new contract would do is keep junior FOs from bailing.
They think they will be able to staff via signing bonuses ($12K is a lot for a young CFI with flight training loans), pouring more resources into recruitment, touting their bases (live in Miami and er...Pittsburgh!), and using the "employee engagement" tactics to sway people on the fence to keep chasing the carrot that's tied to the moving stick. Have some free baseball tickets!
BB has drawn his line in the sand thru his speeches- he wants junior manning in this contract. And not surprisingly, that's one of the Articles the Company has stopped negotiating on- the "Days Off" one.
There's no way this pilot group will ever agree to JM. They would rather continue with the old contract. So, impasse.