Originally Posted by duvie

Meh. The seniority system is a pyramid scheme. Senior people need junior people underneath them to soak up bad Bases, days of the week, holidays, small airplanes, undesirable locations etc. if not for junior people who agree to the system, what do you think the quality of life of senior people would look like? hint: that is what a NO vote may get a 2000 hire. The privilege of being a new hire at United Airlines again

as a new hire you agree to do the same job for less pay, less vacation, etc. with the promise that you will get to be the top dog someday. Like many systems, it probably evolved because it made the most sense given the circumstances. If you conflate your relative position on the seniority list with anything other than luck and timing, you are Inserting merit/deserving into a completely non capitalistic/market-based system