Originally Posted by flapshalfspeed

True. I'll go a step further and say that if you are truly concerned about the well-being of our new hires, you should tell them these things and give them some advice about how unions, contracts, and the RLA process works when you fly with them. It's not just the new hires, either--too many of our new Captains came through the ranks soooooo fast they've never really been through enough industry cycles/events to really truly understand how things work: anything that is not negotiated/LOAed by ALPA is a double-edged sword: yeah, you're putting more money in your pocket in the short-term, but you're also establishing a precedent and exposing the rest of the pilot group to more acts of contractual sidestepping.

You have to set some minimum standard of what actions/programs outside of the contract are acceptable and unacceptable. I think the ontime performance bonus is acceptable without an LOA from the union. I think the No Stay Program should've probably been negotiated through the union. And I most certainly, definitely, unequivocally think the new hire payments/iPads needs to be properly authorized by the union in an LOA.

Where do you draw the line on payments outside of a contract? $2,000 extra a month? $10,000? Where do you draw the line? What if they're giving them lambos and free condos in South Beach? At what point does acceptance of extracontractual benefits become morally unacceptable to you? What if they were giving them a flow to United--but not the existing FOs? (Delta tried this at Endeavor, but Endeavor's ALPA chapter said noooooope and got it extended to all Endeavor FOs).

I want new hires to come here--I really do--I want our shiny EJets full and staffed while sunbeams shining down the rafters of every Mesa crewroom/schoolhouse. But I want that to happen in accordance with the contract and LOAs our union and pilot group have agreed upon.