SailorJerry

We should go back to bidding by telephone too. And make sure the FE does the time cards right.

gloopy

The max pick up will mitigate the costs, but your other points are a bit off. "All" the senior FO's won't be able to take advangate of it, unless you define "senior" to the number that can do it, in which case I guess that would be technically correct, although it would prove my point anyway.

And its not really a big win for the whole pilot group, only those who can buddy bid. That number will be limited by the number of active LCA's in any given month in the first place. Right now, not such a big problem, but when we see massive retirements and (maybe) new hire training, this will be a huge cost on our contract. Come contract time, to keep the windfall for a tiny percentage of pilots will require a subsidy by all.

The previous system mandated added protections for OE recovery for the pilots effected. I absolutely support that. But not the creation of a little micro empire where a tiny few can get all month off with pay, and in many cases pick up extra pay for working a tiny fraction of a month total. That is a rediculous way to spend our negotiating capital. Even so, if we can't sell it back for something of equal or greater net value to the entire group, then let's keep it. I'm not advocating giving it away for nothing. But this will become very expensive in a couple years, and we will have to expend significant negotiating capital to keep it, for the massive benefit of a select few. I predict it won't last for that reason.

No pilot has an inherent right to be off all month just because they can buddy bid or pairing bid with OE trips/CA's. That is absolutely not the same as "using seniority to bid good trips" as you have suggested. If that were true, let's mandate the company create full credit lines with zero flying and let pilots bid those in seniority order. Think that would ever happen? I guess it could, if we were willing to fund it. But why?

I predict this won't last.

buzzpat

Big Bang rocks. We've been watching it for years. And Kaley Couco, Camarillo, CAs finest, is fun too.

gloopy

And you're willing to give up what exactly to fund that?

Thinking we can reinstall massive productivity killers in our contract out of sheer force of will is the wrong way to negotiate IMO. We need more pay and QOL and scope, but returning to asinine little scams like that are not the way. And I am one of the biggest critics of our horrible vacation scams, yet I don't want a return to touch drops because that is the worst possible way to go about fixing it, and its not going to happen anyway.

MoonShot

I'll agree to disagree.

I'm one guy above the plug in my category and for some reason I got a line this month. Last week I had a 4 day trip with a LCA. Sure enough, displaced from all but the first leg for OE. I was able to pick up a 3 day for the other days of the trip. For a guy that has to sit reserve almost every month, it sure was nice to be able to take advantage of this opportunity and make a little more $$$ for the month than I'm ever able to on reserve. I would say if I (as a guy one up from the bottom) was able to take advantage of the change, that all of the pilot group has the chance to benefit.

It wasn't fair under the old system that a FO could bid, be awarded, and subsequently displaced off a great trip then be subjected to recovery flying on a very poor trip.

Why do you feel like any improvement to the contract must be offset somewhere else? I certainly don't feel that way. That mindset leads to a constant erosion of the career. We have a great OE rule in place. The pilots will be the only ones to blame if we negotiate it away.

Don't even get me started along those lines...

forgot to bid

What channel does this show come on anyways?

forgot to bid

or is it in syndication?

scambo1

I agree the scam ship has largely sailed.

Awhile back, when rolling thunder was discovered as a little scam, I was actually schooled about it early on, by one of the greatest and recently retired schedulers during my tenure. I think it took about 3-4 months of doing it before DALPA gave it back...yes, gave. So you ask, what am I willing to give up...Nothing. What is my collective bargaining agent willing to give up? Seemingly everything that makes unionization worth paying for.

FedEx has trip touching drops. They also don't have PBS. These, in my understanding, are two of the items their company is trying to get rid of right now in their negotiations. Someone besides me who tracks this stuff knows the rough percentage of jobs PBS cost us and also knows roughly what trips touching vacations cost us in jobs.

You say we need more pay and QOL, I agree, the little "scams" give both. I think my record is fairly clear on where I stand on scope.

johnso29

I agree with you. One of my biggest gripes mentioned in the contract survey was exactly what you mentioned. It really sucked to bid or swap for a commutable trip, then get yanked for OE and get stuck with a crappy uncommutable trip. You go from commutable to buying two hotel rooms and spending extra nights on the road.

I think it was a huge improvement for all pilots.

johnso29

CBS and TBS. Crap! I forgot the pic!!