Sunvox

This is not an attack question, but an honest request for information. You say: "Many new hires came from airlines with far better reserve rules". Can you give specific examples, and do any of our Agreed or Open Items fit your idea of what is needed now?



I'd love more info on the "voluntary" reserve with no SC or FSB as I feel if that is written properly it could be quite the game changer. Seems to me it has the potential to reduce involuntary reserve AND allow senior pilots to sit reserve from their home even when they commute.

Bahamasflyer

Are you trying to be antagonistic or are you asking a serious question. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt even though your past posts make me think I shouldn’t.

Frontier for one. JB and Spirit also have much better reserve rules.

three1five

I came from a regional. United’s current reserve rules are superior to what I had at the regional in almost every way. This can be true even though our current reserve rules also lag far behind Delta’s, and doesn’t mean our current rules should not be improved.

I’ve been on reserve 6 months on a NB fleet, so this isn’t a commentary on global reserve. Just basic. About half of my workdays have been unused long call, oddly many of those days have come recently, during spring break. I’ve sat field standby three times in 6 months, and I average 2 short calls a month (one of those FSBs was a short call conversion).

I’m still in the “our reserve rules need to be improved” camp, but if I had to call our present reserve rules terrible, I’d have to come up with a pretty severe word for the reserve rules at my last place. Abhorrent?

tmtbiker

Mine had a daily proffer system where you bid in seniority order to stay at home, fly a known open time trip, or sit FSB. This was made possible by the fact that the company posted ALL assignments by 1300LBT every day.

This one simple thing is far, far superior to current book.

FSB existed solely to fly for the day and buy time to get a SC to the airport. They were the last to be used and you had a higher chance of being home each night, which was valuable to some. Not so under our book.

FSB was a line that you bid, providing a benefit to those who wanted a more 9-5 type day and a benefit to all other reserves that didn't want to have to sit. This actually IS in our current book, but the company chooses not to use it (and there's no penalty for this choice).

Should I go on or has this satiated you?

ReadOnly7

Even though ExpressJet is gone, their reserve rules were better than here….and they used to be considered our “little brother” many years ago. Here is a list of BETTER items they had.

1) no FSB on last day of a reserve block
2) 75 hours MPG.
3) once you reach a line value of 72.5….you could request to be released for the month. If denied, which you ALWAYS would be….every day on duty paid 3.75 towards line value….whether used or not.
4) Reserve days could be traded via email, instead of the ridiculous Futures Desk nonsense.

These were REGIONAL rules that exceed ours.

* also:…LC was a monthly thing. You bid for SC times all month. You weren’t nearly as subject to the whims and exploitations of the company.

JTwift

I was on reserve last summer and this sounds amazing to what I went through. I went 4 months before I had my first unused day. Long Call was a fairy tale.

During the busy months when we’re understaffed (which is every day, apparently, since the pool is red every single day), being on reserve is hell; ESPECIALLY as a commuter.

KSwift76

I still don't know why everyone is interested in using sooo much negotiating capital on RSV rules. I sat RSV under this contract for 3 years, fully knowing what I was getting myself into. I don't commute, not because I love our bases, but because I value my QOL and figure I can find a decent place to live in almost any large city. The reality is, with retirements, growth, etc... most of us moving forward should not be on reserve more than a tiny portion of our career (unless by choice). I sat RSV under the old CAL system as well as current UPA. ALOT needs to be improved, I just don't want to give the whole farm away. I have WB Captain on a standing bid @ 100% and will sit RSV on it if awarded it.

​​​I routinely fly with FOs who complain about RSV rules and when I ask them how long they were on reserve they usually say a month or two then straight to holding lines with impressive seniority in less than a year. RSV sucks...we all did it, it's part of the deal... Now, since I haven't had a raise in 3 years, pay me what is owed!

BobbyLeeSwagger

We can get both in this hiring environment

dingdong

Reserve was NOT better at my previous regional, in fact far worse.

Can UA's reserve rules be improved? Yes.

Would I spend negotiating capital on it because we never know when we will be knocked back to reserve against our wishes? Especially since I commute? Yes.

Living in base AND being on reserve is not always a choice.

Sunvox

This is 100% not an answer. Please cite a specific rule that is different from that at United that is better than what United has or is offering.Forgive my ignorance, but I'm not seeing this as significantly different.

First open trips at United are posted immediately, and if it is within 28 hours of show time they are open for pickup by reserves.

Second, what mechanism was available to the company when someone called in sick at the last second? Could a lineholder be reassigned into such a trip? What company are we talking about and are reassignments common?

Third we have a contractual ability to bid SC or FSB lines as well.

Fourth are you at United?

We are asking for elimination of FSB. That is an Open item, but I agree no FSB on the last day of reserve is better than our current rule as is the higher MPG. As for number 3 not sure I see that as a major improvement if it still allows a pilot to be given more flying, and number 4 has already been agreed and is listed in the "Agreed" items.

People can look at my post in what ever light they wish, but the fact is I am trying to understand what specific changes we should be looking for in our current negotiations and then see if such items are in fact in our wish list of Open items or not. I here plenty of comments like "our reserve is terrible" or "company B has better reserve rules", but such comments lack specifics and are therefore somewhat meaningless in my estimation.