Does this guy really care about rural service frequency? What is his actual motivation?
Seems like it's avoiding paying higher wages, which coincidentally will solve the problem.
Until year 1 is 60k in the contract, or guys get 1 year of pay longevity for each year they've been typed and current in a jet then there is experienced labor out there that is refusing your abismale Rj pay scale.

The guy in the left seat clears 130k from the contract, and they guy in the right seat can't clear 60k without a temporary bonus. There is no reason a right seat pilot can't make 60k through ordinary wages. It's not a Beech 1900 anymore.