Originally Posted by
Hedley
^^^^^This^^^^^^^
When a legacy can’t fill captain seats, there is a reason. No more LOA’s. We need to address weaknesses in our reserve rules, improve compensation, and make positions not just tolerable, but desirable, especially considering the high cost of living in the bases where seats go unfilled. We are hiring at record numbers, massive aircraft deliveries are scheduled, and movement will be off the charts. It is in the interest of both the company and the employee to ensure that the infrastructure is there to minimize the growing pains. Hope we don’t let this go to waste, but it’s kind of what we do.
Cheaper (& faster) for the company to just grow senior hubs like ORD/IAH & shift flying to match staffing, or TDY to understaffed hubs as needed. They could easily make those unfilled captain seats disappear on the next bid with this approach. Don’t get me wrong, a contract is both needed & overdue, but I don’t think a few unfilled upgrades in SFO creates a corporate code red to get ink on a new contract.
The good news is- as you’ve suggested- I don’t think this is a fleeting moment. Each month we’re taking new airplanes & returning to profitability, so our bargaining position only gets better as time goes on. We’ve lost a lot to inflation over the past two years alone, but bargaining has been effectively on hold the entire time. I’m for affording the union time to negotiate the right contract on our behalf, even if it means being stuck with this one a little while longer.