Originally Posted by Herkflyr

It doesn't make sense, but remember, in the past we usually didn't have multiple GS being passed out like Halloween candy. Also, reserve was a much worse deal back in the day, so 98% of the time the only guys on reserve were the most junior. When this provision was put into the contract it was likely decades ago, and a reserve GS was so rare as to be a statistical outlier. Now they are far more common. Nevertheless, if you want the benefit of GSWC, you likely won't get it as a regular lineholder except in all but the most extreme cases--even with our current staffing issues. Scheduling is going to do everything they can to avoid a GSWC, since as you noted it just solves today's problem to create tomorrow's. But since a reserve GS is coded as a GS--and most importantly, the GS coverage step doesn't discriminate between regular and reserve--scheduling has no choice but to award the reserve GS, if that pilot is next in line for the GS award. That never really struck home to me until a couple of years ago. Think about it. In nearly every other step of the trip coverage ladders, a reserve assignment is a specific step, applicable to reserves only. But not for green slips! It just says "green slip." NOT "greenslip to a regular lineholder" followed several steps later by "reserve greenslips." Just...GS.

Want a GSWC-like schedule? Reserve GS is the way to go. That may or may not be what works for you but there you have it.