Godammit, Lear- what do you want? That's rhetorical- you want to immediately come back here with a captain's slot with your seniority at a base of your choosing. That's absurd. It's absurd because there's no provision for it anywhere. You'll wave some kind of LOA of some sort with those rights, but I'll be danmed if I can't read that on any literature anywhere.
So here's what our MEC has to do: prevent US active PDT guys from getting pushed out while managing to reintegrate YOU into our system in a manner that makes sense. It's impossible. The seniority and "ghost" list are incompatible issues, so all they have left is to bring you back with slots that are originally offered to FOs and newhires for upgrade and fresh starts, respectively. How else should it be done? We don't want ANYONE to hit the street, period.
This airline isn't growing at any appreciable rate, so the immediate integration into our system isn't fast enough for you. We can't make the slots happen, we can't furlough our guys, we can't snap our fingers and force mainline to make us more flying for you guys...
A little too late? I don't think you're "f'in stupid." I think you're a little delusional if you think you're in control of something, as in "too little, too late, we have the ball and we're going home until you play by my rules." This is a stopgap measure to keep you guys flying, paid, and waiting for the return to greener pastures.
I know your attitude is the exception to the rule, at least to my face. I've heard some outrageous crap from Repugnic guys, I've heard some outrageous crap from MDA pilots' FA WIVES (which, incidentally, I think you're the source of now), but I've never heard anything other than "I don't want to come back" from active MDA pilots to my face.
That's MY seat. Says so in the CBA I can read. I offered it to you with a flowthrough. Take it or leave it.