This is 100% about attracting new hires. The numbers may prove me wrong in the coming months, but I don't see how this opens the floodgates of FOs to PSA. Does anyone in the audience expect this bonus offer to put 50 butts/month in training seats at PSA? I'm sure we will see a short bump in FO numbers but I seriously doubt it will be sustained or significant. Pilots see and understand that in order for PSA (and the other WOs) to be attractive to pilots the pay scale needs to match (or at least be close to matching) the pay scales at comparable airlines. Coming to PSA to make $10-15 an hour less than what you can make elsewhere isn't offset with a $10K bonus... at least not in my mind. I agree that all of the pilots on property should receive the bonus, I also agree that everyone currently flying PSA iron has suffered through the first years' of an FO pay scale, I agree that the correct approach is not to provide the simple band-aide solution of a bonus to FOs, can we all agree that $2500 in my bank account as well as every other FO on property tomorrow could have gone a long way to improve my and their families' lifestyle? I think the MEC did the correct thing today, only time will tell. I am surprised that anyone was expecting something different, after all he has been adamant that any offers would be for the entire pilot group or nothing.

While the FO population suffers a financial set back today, isn't the ultimate goal to leave this a better place for those who follow? Can we all agree that a permanent fix to the pay scales is the necessary long term fix? Again, time will tell. I see it going one of two ways; either we are in pay scale negotiations before the end of the summer or things take a serious bad turn and airplanes start moving because of staffing. One of the significant challenges is that there seems to be a desire for AAG to keep the three WOs on par (or close) so when this bonus doesn't rectify the recruiting issues, where does that leave us? Are the pay scales at two WOs going to be adjusted because one can’t staff?

A happy pilot group is the strongest recruiting tool for the airline. Who wants to walk into an environment of turmoil such as that which exist today in our group? I don't see us as a happy pilot group today and that is unfortunate. I find it extraordinarily difficult to believe that anyone in this pilot group would maliciously and selfishly turn down money for any part of the group and would have a different opinion on that money if it were offered to a different portion of the group, as has been insinuated. Maybe that's just my naivety, for now can we try to stand behind our leadership? Was the timing of certain emails and the offers to each of the WOs coincidence? Could it be that it was intended to divide us because the outcome of the MEC discussions was a known quantity by management?

Let me attempt my best recruiting pitch: Come to PSA where you can make $35K/year 1... oh, and year 2. Current reserve sits are approximately 4 months to a year and growing, and while I understand that is nothing compared to what our predecessors had, is there better elsewhere? Is there an airline that I can go to today that has me flying more, faster, for more money with better bases? We have one readily commutable base (to most individuals and it has the longest reserve sit), 3 outstation bases (two leg commutes for most) and who knows what on the horizon. My guess is AAG won't allow us to open another base until we can prove that we can staff the aircraft that are supposed to be on the way.

If they aren’t already, I hope our union leadership sits down with the leadership with the other 2 WOs so that we can all move in the same direction. I would never fault another pilot group for doing what they feel is right for themselves. I’m happy for the Envoy FO that pulls down an extra $10K this year… good for him and his family.

Buy me beer, don’t buy me beer… whatever, I’ll still show with a smile on my face and bust my butt because that’s what I think a professional pilot does. If you won’t buy me a beer I hope you will sit down with me and drink one… who knows, wifey might let me walk out of the door with enough cash to buy you one.

Seldom is the immediate, easy answer the correct one. But that’s probably just my naivety coming out again. I trust that all of us are educated enough to understand both sides of the argument just because you don’t agree with mine (or the FO that needed that $20K to feed his kid) doesn’t mean that we can’t at least try to identify, understand, and respect their/my/his/her position.

Time will tell, for now it is time for me to go fix some ramen noodles.