Originally Posted by
Sumtinwong
You are not an official line pilot until you finish IOE thus you are not entitled to the same protections of the contract as a fully qualified pilot. Ask any instructor or check airman. Therefore, this is the gray area that the company has operated in. The company is obligated to pay each employee the same wages that operate under the contract. There can be no special treatment. New hires in recent months are making significantly more money than a new hire only a few months prior to that. We have a clear case.
I think you're getting a little mixed up. The contract doesn't reference "fully qualified pilots" at all in regards to employee status. The only difference in treatment occurs after your probationary period is up at a year with the company and has nothing to do with compensation. IIRC it is only the disciplinary section that kicks in after a year. You're a pilot employee the first day of ground school.