You’re kind of missing the point. By forcing more new hires into EWR/SFO, the company reduces the long-term need in other bases. So those seats in IAH, MCO, etc, that would otherwise be going to more senior pilots dry up in favor of more coastal positions getting assigned in BI. This would be a long-lasting shift, as allows the company to optimize its preferred staffing balance.

So no, it’s not just, oh no, the NHs won’t get their base preferences, it’s that fewer of us will get our base preferences because the NHs will do our current flying out of the bases we don’t like for cheaper.