Can't help but notice a common theme on most forums right now: Tight pilot staffing.

Endeavor, Envoy, Piedmont, Expressjet, TSA.. Quite a few regionals seem tight on staffing for the winter months. It looks like summer 2020 will be a mess for the record books.

Summer flying + all-time high hiring at the majors + regional captain shortage = something is gonna give

Even the larger regionals are hurting right now. Republic is offering premium for overtime way more than they have been. Skywest is reflowing every crew they can. It’s crazy.

Yeah. if you work for one of those Regionals that allow Jr Manning, your life is going to suck this summer.

More than one way to skin that cat, reflow, etc. You'd need pretty airtight language to be safe from all "bonus" assignments. And under RLA you cannot refuse even if you're contractually protected... fly it and grieve it.

There’s still time to train before the summer, but the window is rapidly closing for early summer.

I’m fatigued just reading all this summer junior manning stuff.

link / source? Generally curious about this statement as it’s about to affect me.

You can refuse a junior man event. There are all kinds of reasons. Single parents, sick children, other family commitments etc. you just can’t blanket statement no with no reason.

If my wife works the next day and we don’t have child care except for when I am there, the company and the rla can’t say anything about me refusing it.

Heck yes you can refuse it. You'll get a missed assignment, and then you "grieve" it.