Many regionals did have to eat sizeable pay cuts. Some lost really nice B funds. Others have been kept in bad faith negotiations on a 10 year old contract for 5 years and counting. Even during the last upswing, many regional pilots have already been exposed to management's chart and graph, full color pamphlet propaganda re-education campaign about how you are already the highest paid even though you have one of the cheapest contracts with the weakest work rules. And yes, many regionals did furlough, downgrade and stagnate.
I take it from your intonation that you might be of the opinion that regional pilots would be absolute pushovers just because they are moving on to their dream job. While most regional pilots will indeed show up to their respective majors with bells on, that positive attituce can and will be changed by bad managemenet, just like they changed the attitudes of oh so many "happy to be here" CFI's stepping up to a shiny new jet.
Now put that coffee down, grab her Greek muscular man frame and git-r-dunn right! What do you think, that this is a half day or something?
First, major props to the Steelers...
Second, I found humor in how a FNG could be sooooo disgruntled at the company when they just got hired a few months back......If it was that bad 6 months ago, then why take the job???......sure, it's a step up but if he and his compadres have a beef with the company, I say get in line.....Many other guys were screwed
directly by the big airline, so listening to a new guy bitch about how hard it was at said contracted lift company, is gonna fall on deaf ears.
There's this idea that some people "got screwed" at their regionals....tough life, driving an RJ, Flight Attendants, Nassau layovers, 3 hour legs, Captain upgrade at 1500 hours......yeah, you sure got screwed.....
There are regionals that abuse people, treat them like dirt, we all know that, but I have little sympathy for the plight of today's regional pilot unless they are flying unpressurized turboprops all day long....then step right up, I'll listen.....otherwise, it's called paying dues......So man up, shut up, cause we've ALL had to do it once or twice in our careers....
Or maybe I'm wrong.....Not digging on the guy, I'm just trying to clarify why new-hires would be so angry...no flame, no fight, just ready to listen.