The unfortunate reality is that Union protection doesn't come into effect until you report for day 1 on the property, your date of hire... until then you're just the company's play-toy and the union can't do a thing about it... whether they want to hire military guys, furloughs, cfi's, meat-grinder jet school grads, space shuttle pilots, etc... is up to them... so start downloading the space shuttle on flight sim X...

Notne that I'm aware of

There's no way that people aren't applying who are actually qualified. Even companies that operate skyhawks are getting tons of resumes, so I can only imagine what the airlines get on a daily basis. I think it's more towards your second point, it's not who they want, which is whats sad because it falls under my last point. It's not who they want because it's not about quals, its about money and politics. It's unfortunate though that the airlines care more about that then the safety of their crews and pax

I think the company hiring practices is the biggest driver, low time people fall in line and don't question them as much. Though I wouldn't underestimate the point of higher time pilots not applying. I know at Comair, where I used to work, there was a number of people for whom pinnacle was not a place we would send our resumes at the time, due to working conditions, upgrade time, and pay. The biggest driver for me not wanting to go there was the whole merger situation, that uncertainty alone would keep me from applying...that and the possibility of Newark

If you're an airline pilot, then you've already flown with some awful people...they also went through the interview. If you're not with an airline yet, you, sooner or later, WILL fly with those awful people...who have cleared interview at one time or the other.

What do you think of 'flow-through'? Just remember that those who 'flow-through' never went through 'that' airlines' interview process. In fact, I know at least five guys/girls who were rejected by AA and Delta (two of them twice), who are now flowing through to same airlines.

This... not to mention as a new, just-off-IOE FO you've probably flown with some awful captains... who somehow made it past upgrade... there are good and bad pilots in the airlines regardless of their flying background and supposed "qualifications" and it's up to all of us in the industry to step our game up to the next level so that when we get a "bad" crewmember we can handle it and it doesn't turn into a disaster..
(grabs helmet and dives into foxhole in anticipation of the flame war and stories of bad captains/FOs to come)

Not at Pinnacle.

The union has restrictions for upgrade mins and agency shop provisions. As far as hiring- there are very few things in place to allow for "Cleaning House".

As long as these new guys are willing to work for cheap, managment will gladly take them in regardless of their lack of qualifications. Ask 9/10 Americans who Colgan Air is. You will get back blank stares.

Colgan is gone.

And you may want to read the new contract all the way through.