This is the one thing that I would be overjoyed about--if the union could get some sort of buy back for all these years as an RCA so they count for something. I'm afraid that might never happen because too many RCAs languished out there for so many years and it would just cost too much. When I started, I remember the academy trainer telling the class the average time to go regular was about 6 years--I'm sure the average is way up there now, but it's one of the problems with RCA retention--who can really afford to keep a job like this, with sporadic hours and an inconsistent schedule, for five, ten, twelve years?
I was an RCA for close to ten years, regular now for four years. The two most recent RCAs to convert to regular in my office: one worked 1 year and 1 month, the other 1 year and one week. I guess they'll bring down that average some!