I am not necessarily blaming new FOs for having a hard time understanding their contract. If it is their first airline, new FOs are trying to wrap their head around how to fly the jet and be proficient in doing so, learning how to work their schedules, learning how to look for pay "irregularities", learn how to work in a 121 environment, and learning how to get along with a variety of crews in a variety of environments.

The contracts are not easy reading.

I know that I have personally sent several emails to the union email addresses asking questions about the contract and have never received a reply.

Wouldn't it be nice if the union would put together a video that covered different parts of the contract that new guys could watch and learn from? Maybe narrated power point slides with pay, scheduling, reserve, and other work rules that everyone should understand.

Many new FOs think that scheduling is their boss, and they are just doing what they are told. They don't want to get in trouble while on probation, and do not want to show up as a "problem employee".

It takes a good captain helping these guys understand how things really work and help them understand their contract.