Originally Posted by Dave Fitzgerald

Young padawan has much to learn. Use the force, read the contract on scope.

Scope in short prevents the company from outsourcing our flying to another company. This takes many forms. Limits on international code shares, limits on express size, legs, frequency percentage of mainline block hours.

In short scope protects mainline jobs. If an express company is contracted to fly SFO-SEA on an RJ, we lose pilot jobs, flight attendant jobs, mechanic jobs...you get the idea. We are now in an era where Harvard business grads control business, and local labor is considered evil. Outsource it all! What they don't understand is the value of a happy labor force vs. low cost outsourced fee for departure ventures that don't necessarily have the resources, or are managed just on the edge of bankruptcy that do not have the reliability of mainline. That ****es off customers, lose business, when they really don't like flying on 50 seat small RJ's in the first place.

Scope is only as strong as the language in the contract. Management is constantly trying to come up with loop holes. Again, outsource labor is cheaper, but not really. Ask Jeff about the island gate agents and ramp.

Scope is monumentally important. Please do some research and read the contract. We currently have scope choke, which means that the company is retiring 50 seat RJ's as fast as they can, and they can't add any more large RJ's due to our contract. This means they have to buy planes for mainline, maybe a new small narrow-body. Hence the used A3219's, and used Guppies we are buying. This means jobs. This means new hires, this means, fast progression, this means QOL.

Scope is important. Yes the company would add more planes, but not on our seniority list. Scope means a lot more than I've listed, just scratched the surface.