The past has been great as a pilot group without a contract we still where able to become the best performing airline in these United States of America. Our MEC has fought a tough battle with a management that will not reward us for making them shine to their Major airline partners. They have been rewarded by getting countless bonus on the sweat of the pilot group. Now as if thats not enough they are about to displace 30 CA's as a ploy to toy with the union into a sub-standard contract. They offered a Leave of Absence to CA and I personally know of 10 CA's in one base(MEM) that signed up for it. The Numbers came back strong and management decides not to pursue that course. Is it not better to let the hard working man and women of 9E take the LOA then displace the 30 CA's that would most likely want to stay in their current position. I found it odd that we got the "thanks but no thanks" message from EF regarding the LOA. ( if I am missing something here, can anyone at 9E who has a better understanding of that rather untactful move fill me in?) Our future at 9E hinges on us getting decent contract to sweat over and performance. As far as I know the Pilots still do their all in making sure that we meet goals set for us by the same people that stab us in the back and will not agree to give us a what we are asking for. Economic times are turn and that will be the company's next excuse. We were able to ride out the high gas price wave and we should be able to ride out the next set of waves. finally, will this new administration even come to our rescue?