I'm a new hire starting training in a few weeks. I've heard nothing but good things about AW (very excited to get started) and didn't even know there were contract negotiations until this thread.

Can anyone here give a rundown of the current state of things? How long have negotiations been taking place? What are the main points of contention? From the limited info I have seen (rigs, block or better, vacation, etc.) I thought the current contract was pretty solid. Obviously hourly pay is a major issue at every regional, but are there big issues with the contract besides hourly pay?

Also, what's the deal with upgrades? I gather there haven't been upgrades in a while but it doesn't seem possible to put upgrades off forever. Is the company short captains? Do you think the predicted 18-24 month upgrade is not realistic? Just trying to get a feel for what to expect moving forward.

Thank you