I've always said we need to get rid of the longevity scales in our contracts. A national seniority list will never happen. It never seemed fair to me that a new hire 737 first officer made way less than a 12 year 737 first officer doing the exact same job. We need a national pay scale. Then you can start over without the enormous pay hit. Vacation and sick leave could still go on longevity. Bidding still by seniority, but to me the hourly rate should be identical for guys flying in the same seat. This would also keep startups at bay. These days all startups start under the same premise. Take advantage of the labor cost advantage you get from hiring all new employees.

We have pilots saying they love longevity, but think all seats at an airline should pay the same (like UPS). This is backwards if you ask me. Anyhow, like a national seniority list, it will never happen.