Minimum staffing and experience in union contracts... why not?

[flyf15]

Sitting here reading the other posts on this board about airlines having trouble obtaining pilots. Why not put minimum staffing and experience levels into our contracts? It is very much in our best interest to have these two factors kept under control. Especially for captains when it comes to experience levels.

Experience would be easy.
Something like... Airline will not hire any pilots with less than 500 total time and 100 multiengine. Can be reduced to 400 total and 50 multi if the person holds CFI rating and has given at least 100 hours of instruction.

As far as staffing goes...
Airline will maintain a staffing level equal to 1 line qualified fully available pilot per 75 hours (or whatever guarantee is) of block time scheduled per month. If airline does not meet this level, then for the next month all flying done above guarantee shall be at 150% pay. If this level is not met for 4 consecutive months or more, all flying above guarantee shall be at 200% pay.


Seems to me like one little tidbit like this in the contract could be a huge way to increase pay, QOL, staffing issues, extensions, junior mans, etc... all in one paragraph.

Has anyone considered anything like this before? Why or why not?

 

[regionaltard]

Because every union contract since the dawn of time has contained a Management Rights section.

 

[PCL_128]

Everything in a contract costs bargaining leverage. If you use it on this item, then you'll have to accept less on something else. It's simply a matter of priorities. You can kill two birds with one stone by negotiating good work rules that will indirectly force the company to increase staffing, and that's the strategy that most unions take.