New Tomcat
Don't worry. You definitely won't be considered a scab here. It's an entirely different deal. I don't particularly like the pheonomenon, but DECs are a fact of life at EK given the rapid rate of expansion. Everyone needs to feed his family. Don't be put off by malcontents like LHR Rain. He just joined EK yesterday and doesn't even qualify for upgrade by EK's criteria. When FO's actually start having their upgrades deleyed by DECs then I feel they will have something legitimate to complain about. Right now, it's the perception of a problem rather than an actual problem. "Normal" upgrades on the Boeing are running at 3 years at the moment, and the Airbus is about 3 years 3 months. I really don't see what the big deal is. You have a few very spoilt guys here who feel that the world owes them something, but by and large, you'll find the guys here are a great bunch to fly with, DEC or otherwise.
Yardman