What really has to change is that damned two-tiered system that has evolved in the industry. The codeshares are awarded flying based on a competitive bidding system and once the contract has been signed by the lowest bidder they have to work within that cost structure vs. revenue. Fee-per-departure, EAS, capacity purchase. All of these systems are designed to save money for the mainline, and limit the revenue that the regional codeshare is able to realize for every RPM.
The current business model that ALPA is using is an anachronism that goes back to the pre-deregulation era. Having an association of individual pilot groups with a national office. DOES NOT work for ALL pilots in in the union. I support the union, I am a union member. I think it is time to put more pressure on the union to get this national seniority list protocol done to protect our jobs and wages.
3407 IS going to happen again, and the single-level of safety propoganda that the FAA, ATA, RAA puts out is just that. There is a direct correlation between safety and the amount of money that is being spent. Be it pilot wages, better training, better work rules, etc...Professional attitudes and experience are mutually exclusive. Having a professional attitude and good training will not always make up for a lack of experience. Why is that 1200 hours were required for me to fly checks? Yet, I had 300 hr. F/Os that had never been in Class B airspace and didn't know how to read an arrival chart? Not their fault, just the situation out there as recent as early 2008. These guys and gals were motivated, and a pleasure to teach and fly with, BUT they shouldn't have been put in that position in the first place. Just my opinion.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead