Can someone educate me on the history of TSA? Why is there a CA shortage? Guys and gals getting picked up my the majors?

QOL at TSA is garbage right now unless you want to fly 18 days a month and never be able to attend family events because you get junior manned into flying on your days off. There's a BIG reason why they are having such a shortage of pilots. Pay is a little part of the reason, but mainly its QOL.

Is there any sight of a new contract?

Not at present. In mediation and our negotiator just left for better pastures. Plus the company seems to want a concessionary contract with zero pay increases and zero QOL improvements. And they want us to lose some of the important things we gained in the PBS deal with changes to our min day and control over PBS.

Attrition for both CAs and FOs, not enough FOs to upgrade. CAs to better jobs mostly (although some have gone to Commutair and AA wholly owneds) LCCs and Cargo and some to legacies. FOs making lateral moves due to quality of life issues, pay, and no contract. That is why we are hiring "insta captains". You get hired as a CQFO, put your bid in for Captain after finishing training and, for the forseeable future, it will be awarded.

Good Lord, hope things get better

TSA is a place to come to get in and get out. The most you'll ever have off is 15 days a month. Never seen anyone lately get more than that. For the month of september, including 3 people who left in training for various reasons, 17 people left. Our negotiations chair just left, but it was for a good opportunity that came up. He originally was going to wait for the contract to be complete but couldn't pass up the opportunity. Most of the attrition was from the CA side with guys going to SWA, a lot to Spirit, 1 FDX, the 2 flows to F9 and a bunch more to jetblue. A few FOs have left that were prior military to UAL/DAL. There's already 2 CAs that have quit this month to go to other major carriers and I personally know at least one whos leaving that hasn't resigned yet. When our active pilot group is only 360ish pilots and we are losing up to 15+ every month, it creates a lot of problems. If you want to fly and upgrade ASAP and you live in domicile, TSA isn't a bad place, especially this winter when there will be 300% OT/JA pay. This winter is going to be rough on the CAs.