Just to clarify, Surf, what you quoted wasn't by surf'nfly but by newman.
Anyways, ya, they USED to be a nice place to work. so what's happened? Contractors, flying for less. What's the combination of being a nice place to work? Usually what your paycheck is at the end of the day, And your quality of life, These two things come with being paid what the market can bear, maybe a little more. And usually the QOL comes with Bigger Fleet. Here comes Mesa, etc al. Fee for departure blah blah blah. They suck off the tit of ML and are like a bunch of roaches.
BravoWhisky is exactly right. Which I've also been saying. You are asking individual carriers to make a stand (union wise) While the national does absolutely nothing. What guidance, planning, long term vision they have for labor relations. All I see is, lets keep the dues money up as much as possible. and try to build contracts via stepping stones.
The Pay for departure task force???? WTF...should have been done 10 yrs ago. What the DCI companies have started doing, (which I think is the main part of why the Task force was formed anyways but different story) should have been done on DAY one the whipsaw was sharpened. The individuals are already brainwashed, that ....fly for the lower pay, it's just a stepping stone, You'll get your 1000hrs and move on. You must supplement low ticket prices and 10,000,000 bonuses for mgmtn by working for nothing.....