Great advice, thanks. Cheers.

SJS - Shiny Jet Syndrome, is highly frowned upon because like its ugly cousin "I just want to fly" it is another tool that companies use to lure people to accept lower pay and/or work conditions.

I like my job but bottom line I come to work to make money. While I would rather fly an E175 over a clapped out CRJ200 that should always be at the bottom of your considerations list not near the top.

That's why.

Its like this - Union Negotiating Committee is trying to negotiate better wages, the Union goes out to garner support. Pilot 1 says "yea ! heck yea I want more pay" and down the line someone will say "pay, ok... sure but I want better reserve rules" and someone else will say "I want better equipment" etc, etc. Now when the Negotiating Committee goes to the company instead of having 1000 pilots all saying PAY we got the committee bring several issues to the company and the company will pick the issue most beneficial and least costly to them and now we have "an improvement" but yet are still paid below market wages.

Pilots are by and far their worst enemies as well as other Pilots worst enemies.

Ahh...that sort of makes sense.
So, you think the DEC thing is hurting the whole negotiation for better pay, work rules, etc.?
I suppose with the 'big bonus' thing, it could be.
As in: They SHOULD just offer better pay for all pilots across the board.

Yeah, we can claim the "one for all and all for one" mantra, but in the end, it's every man for himself. Or woman, sorry ladies.

I think another point that gets people. Our companies offer all these bonuses and incentives to bring in these DEC’s while the other captains, and FOs for that matter kinda get the shaft. Those who stay with the company, build the time, and upgrade don’t get any additional incentives, while some companies are offering tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses. One of the things I’ve heard around the water cooler.

Edit: totally saw that was sent before, my bad for being redundant.

The DEC programs "is what it is". If a particular carrier doesn't have enough FO's with the flight time to upgrade, they have no choice but to hire from the outside. The only alternative is to ground planes, and no one wants that.

I guess some think, "When I meet the minimum times to upgrade, they won't need anymore CA's and it will delay my upgrade."

Kinda like the cellular companies or cable companies offering these great deals to attract new customers, and the people who have been with them for years are like, "Why aren't I being offered a new phone and these cheap rates?" lol

I completely understand their frustration, but the carriers have no other options but to ground planes and cancel flights.

For at least one of the wholly-owned regionals, the FOs with the requirements to upgrade were there, they just weren't willing to do it for the pay/quality of life hit/various other reasons. Instead of addressing those factors, the company chose to work with the union to let them know they were less interested in fixing whatever may have been preventing a voluntary upgrade than forcing people to upgrade.

Ouch...don't supposed you'd be willing to share which one that was?
Doesn't sound like a place I want to end up.

PSA. But from what I understand, Envoy is also (or was, at least) forcing upgrades, though they were junior-manning I believe. I don't know their current situation, or if they still are doing this.