Originally Posted by
Riddler
Senority is a different matter and should not be portable. If that 10 year FO moves to a different airline - for whatever reason (voluntary, merger, bankruptcy of previous airline), then that person gets stapled to the bottom of the new senoirty list. So he might be on reserve, and maybe at an undesirable domicile, but his pay is protected because he is a UNION 737 pilot. Upgrade, schedule, domicile, etc. would still be a factor of senority.
To get back on topic, I think Riddler brings up a great idea. All of us agree that a national seniority list would give management less of an advantage on us and sounds great up until when we have to actually do it. This seems to be a great compromise. You wouldn't be flying right seat with some 5 yr wonder pilot SOB from ABC airlines, but he still would be making his due amount. You could still get the cherry trips and schedules that you have been dreaming of for the past 20 years and he wouldn't be left out in the cold and therefore, neither would you if something were to go amiss.
Of course management is going to buck this until their dying breath. It would give us too many options. They know the seniority system allows them to dole out SEVERE concessions. I mean, in what office in America could a boss announce a 40% pay cut, increase in work hours, and completely axe the pension and expect the worker bees to show up the next day? There would be problems like some said above, but at least it is a step in the right direction. The problems that would exist would be between the union and the company and not between ourselves, which is a huge difference. We all know management loves to divide and conquer. What I mean is, I don't care if the guy flying to my right is making the same amount of money as me as long as I can get the schedule that I want and am being compensated accordingly. Good on him and my profession. I wish all 121 pilots made CA wages.