I like to dwell in the positive and not the negative world but occasionally miss the mark.
What I’d really like to hear is one positive reason FOR taking SLS. Or a coherent rationale why it would benefit the pilot body OR the long term health of the place.
The money won’t matter; compared with the huge capital costs involved this is a token gesture of goodwill (which has been exploited in the past) which is more of a face saving type of thing. A literal fart in a hurricane when it comes to cash. Providing an illusion of ‘doing the right thing’ while acting in the opposite direction to address the high ticket operational costs (and past ‘blunders’ for that matter—assuming they were actually ‘blunders’ and weren’t a form of money laundering).
If retrenchment is necessary, it delays this from occurring (and also delays the subsequent recall provisions) — preventing a ‘right sizing’ of the airline (and for people to get on with their lives).
It undermines pretty much ALL existing pilot COSs/EAs/CA/CBAs by subverting the legitimate (negotiated) contractural provisions designed for contingencies like this.
It directly subverts the concept of seniority which is the basis for pretty much every airline contract everywhere. In fact, it PENALIZES seniority.
It enables the practice of hiring on ever decreasing contractural conditions which undermine those in existence; in the long run this benefits no one. It rewards bad behavior morally, economically, and contractually.
I’d really (seriously) appreciate a coherent argument given the nature of the pilot contracts how somehow this might benefit the pilot body OR others and a good argument FOR SLS.