Bottom 40 727 FOs can be forced to back seat ---- are not senior enough to hold 757/FO.

757 is a "growth" airplane and the training letter expires this fall (...plus alot of NDs bid it last year and will leave the jet in 2-4 yrs)

It's OK to get fat in the 757, especially with previous WB guys. It accomplishes the company goal of carrying any excess in NB seats rather than WB seats. They need not force them to 727 seat to accomplish that goal.

727 is on a slow glidepath to retirement in 2015 and is currently evenly manned across crew positions.

Putting "some extra" in the back eliminates some POP and does put them in a position for a small furlough.

...and of course that's all they really need to justify the reduced BLGs for a long, long time.