Originally Posted by
satchip
Au contraaire mon frere'! This is about the staffing. The triple dipping FO making 200 per month is a classic Class Warfare straw man. They are using this to gin up resentment over some "FO getting a good deal, getting paid more than a CA". Sure some guys are doing that and I'm sure they'd love to stop it but the real money is in the reduced number of FOs required.
40 717 LCA fly 4 rotations/MO. That's 160 trips. 120 of those get pulled. Now instead of have two FOs on those trips, the guy awarded and the OE guy, they only have to assign one. The other has to fly other trips or down the line gets reserve. WS, GS, Open time dries up and they get to staff the category at straight pay rather than GS. When the huge training wave hits they will be prepared for it. They can hire less to cover it too. This is all about the staffing.
You are both right, it's about money AND staffing, which in a round about way, is also about money. This is a triple concession!
1. Less F/O's required
2. Less money for the F/O's that would have dropped and picked up a G/S
3. Les Quality of Life, as 75% of those 'good' trips the LCA's bid go away!