CAL ALPA LEC 170 Update March Madness Meltdown

[CAL EWR B737]

March 21, 2007

March Madness Meltdown​

Your e-mails and calls are lava hot from the emotion and frustration that many of you experienced in what will be known as the “March Madness Meltdown.”

What has happened to our operations, crew scheduling, and staffing? The final coup de grace appears at this time to be blatant contract violations to simply shoulder middle-management failures. This storm did not sneak up on the company. The company is still in the 20-year-old habit of not being staffed to handle a good day . . . any weather becomes a disaster.

Many of you are asking what happened to the “goodwill of working together?” Why would this company continue to hammer and disrespect the most loyal, dedicated, and trusted pilot group in a quarter-century¾with the history to prove it!

You ask us, “Why do I have to file a grievance; why can’t the union just go kick some ass?” We are governed by a document called the Railway Labor Act. The grievance process (personal or group) is the starting point. Like it or not, every legal remedy for a contract violation starts with a grievance . . . so just do it!

For many of you, this is the tipping point! Clearly, goodwill and the unsurpassed dedication of you, the line pilot, are not on this management team’s balance sheet or bonus program. For many of you, management is saying, “It’s over, let’s move on.” No apology has been issued by Flight Ops or by the company for what happened this past weekend. This company, which crows all over the press about how well run it is and all the awards it wins, was caught flat-footed by a storm that was predicted three days in advance. Scheduling literally threw out our contract and took all of their phones off the hook.

You are the leverage. You are the union. New MEC officers will be in place by Tuesday, March 27. We are returning to our ALPA roots. They will either follow your lead and direction, or they will be gone! The time for “Working Together” has long since passed.

This summer, we believe the company will be operating unprepared for pilot staffing shortages, magnified by PBS and a 1997 staffing model. This will be further compounded by confirmed air traffic controller shortages reported to us by our brothers and sisters in the ATC union. News reports also highlight that this summer’s delays may be the worst in history! Consider this a wind-shear warning . . . and be prepared.

Please know your contract and get educated (a good summer read is ALPA’s history, Flying the Line). Most importantly, stand up, get involved, and be counted! “Fly Now, Grieve Later” applies to only the ill-defined gray areas of the contract. Know your contract inside and out. Scheduling is not allowed to violate the CBA just because management cannot manage the airline. If you are ever in doubt about a contract issue, call the UDO Hotline at 888-990-4227.

Time to take it back! It’s up to you.

Capt. Al Brandano, Chairman
Capt. Larry Beck, Vice Chairman
First Officer Kate Malone, Secretary-Treasurer

 

[ualdriver]

Sounds EXTREMELY familiar.....CAL will not be the only airline with summer staffing issues...

 

[iflyhigh]

Almost all major airlines are not prepared for this summer.

Its going to get real interesting. I know mine airline is going to be in a world of hurt. We are already junion assigning.

iflyhigh

 

[Non Union]

Consolodation will take care of that.

UAL/CAL

NW/Delta

AA

and of course SW.

We can't have pilots gaining leverage can we? They are already overpaid.

 

[AAflyer]

March 21, 2007

March Madness Meltdown​

Your e-mails and calls are lava hot from the emotion and frustration that many of you experienced in what will be known as the “March Madness Meltdown.”

What has happened to our operations, crew scheduling, and staffing? The final coup de grace appears at this time to be blatant contract violations to simply shoulder middle-management failures. This storm did not sneak up on the company. The company is still in the 20-year-old habit of not being staffed to handle a good day . . . any weather becomes a disaster.

Many of you are asking what happened to the “goodwill of working together?” Why would this company continue to hammer and disrespect the most loyal, dedicated, and trusted pilot group in a quarter-century¾with the history to prove it!

You ask us, “Why do I have to file a grievance; why can’t the union just go kick some ass?” We are governed by a document called the Railway Labor Act. The grievance process (personal or group) is the starting point. Like it or not, every legal remedy for a contract violation starts with a grievance . . . so just do it!

For many of you, this is the tipping point! Clearly, goodwill and the unsurpassed dedication of you, the line pilot, are not on this management team’s balance sheet or bonus program. For many of you, management is saying, “It’s over, let’s move on.” No apology has been issued by Flight Ops or by the company for what happened this past weekend. This company, which crows all over the press about how well run it is and all the awards it wins, was caught flat-footed by a storm that was predicted three days in advance. Scheduling literally threw out our contract and took all of their phones off the hook.

You are the leverage. You are the union. New MEC officers will be in place by Tuesday, March 27. We are returning to our ALPA roots. They will either follow your lead and direction, or they will be gone! The time for “Working Together” has long since passed.

This summer, we believe the company will be operating unprepared for pilot staffing shortages, magnified by PBS and a 1997 staffing model. This will be further compounded by confirmed air traffic controller shortages reported to us by our brothers and sisters in the ATC union. News reports also highlight that this summer’s delays may be the worst in history! Consider this a wind-shear warning . . . and be prepared.

Please know your contract and get educated (a good summer read is ALPA’s history, Flying the Line). Most importantly, stand up, get involved, and be counted! “Fly Now, Grieve Later” applies to only the ill-defined gray areas of the contract. Know your contract inside and out. Scheduling is not allowed to violate the CBA just because management cannot manage the airline. If you are ever in doubt about a contract issue, call the UDO Hotline at 888-990-4227.

Time to take it back! It’s up to you.

Capt. Al Brandano, Chairman
Capt. Larry Beck, Vice Chairman
First Officer Kate Malone, Secretary-Treasurer

This sounds just like what happened to us recently. I just sat there and thought, how can we operate like it was the first time we had seen snow. While I feel sorry for what you went through, glad to know we aren't the only airline with idiots running certain parts of our company.

We cancelled many flight last weekend for lack of crews. They have not geared up the school us to take more than 30 month. Word has it we need 60 a month to cover the losses and keep our schedule intact.

We will be critical this summer as well. Like the union message said, throw in bad weather, an ATC shortage, and it will get very ugly quickly.

AAflyer

 

[Ex737Driver]

This sounds just like what happened to us recently. I just sat there and thought, how can we operate like it was the first time we had seen snow. While I feel sorry for what you went through, glad to know we aren't the only airline with idiots running certain parts of our company.

We cancelled many flight last weekend for lack of crews. They have not geared up the school us to take more than 30 month. Word has it we need 60 a month to cover the losses and keep our schedule intact.

We will be critical this summer as well. Like the union message said, throw in bad weather, an ATC shortage, and it will get very ugly quickly.

AAflyer

What's sad is we have been hiring at CAL steadily since September of 06 and as of January 07, hiring 16 a week, and we will still be woefully understaffed this summer.

 

[densoo]

What's sad is we have been hiring at CAL steadily since September of 06 and as of January 07, hiring 16 a week, and we will still be woefully understaffed this summer.

I think CAL's been hiring steadily since 2005, no?

 

[pkober]

We start our hiring in September through May to cover the summer flying. The hiring we did from May 05 to May 06 covered the summer 06 flying, even though it really didn't.

 

[whymeworry?]

Ironically, Marion Blakey wants to change age 60 to be more in line with ICAO. Yet ICAO pilots are not limited by our pathetic legislation called The RAILWAY Labor Act. The other pilots of the world can strike, slowdown, shutdown, and start CHAOS ANYTIME. And they do this rather frequently compared to that of their American compatriots in order to make their point.

Blakey say it's time for age 60 change because it's "an out-dated rule" and out of step with ICAO. I say the RLA applying to airline pilots was both out-dated and inappropriate from the outset. Certainly, 50 years later its time to move on.

We need to push all our union leaders to effectuate legislation that will shed us from the shackles of the RLA.

CAL literally used the CBA as a doorstop two weeks ago. They violated every section of the contract possible and when challenged by pilots, the $9.00/ hr crew schedulers said, "so what, grieve it." By RLA law, you MUST "fly now, grieve later." This has to change.

 

[MD80DRVR]

This sounds just like what happened to us recently. I just sat there and thought, how can we operate like it was the first time we had seen snow. While I feel sorry for what you went through, glad to know we aren't the only airline with idiots running certain parts of our company.

We canceled many flight last weekend for lack of crews. They have not geared up the school us to take more than 30 month. Word has it we need 60 a month to cover the losses and keep our schedule intact.

We will be critical this summer as well. Like the union message said, throw in bad weather, an ATC shortage, and it will get very ugly quickly.

AAflyer

American Mgmt. will fix that quickly by accelerating the retirement of the MD-80. One more screw to turn during negotiations.:crying:

 

[Truckdriver]

Sounds just like what happned at JetBlue in Feb. The only difference is we got all the press on CNN. Oh, and David Neeleman apolgized to us and then double paid us for all of our hard work.

 

[nimtz]

Sounds just like what happned at JetBlue in Feb. The only difference is we got all the press on CNN. Oh, and David Neeleman apolgized to us and then double paid us for all of our hard work.

Wow they treat you awesome there! Makes one wonder why you have such a hard-on for Delta hiring news on the other thread.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Consolodation will take care of that.

and of course SW.

STAPLE !!! ...or....preferential interviews...uh-huh

Tejas

 

[canadflyau]

"so what, grieve it."

Make sure they put that comment in the remarks about the grievance. While the RLA does take the do it and grieve it later, the spirit of that section (and it has been upheld) is that the company can not knowingly violate the contract it must be unwittingly. So if you show a scheduler the section that they are blatantly violating, DO NOT FLY (just be 100% right.) When it is up to interpretation, and you and the scheduler disagree, fly it and grieve. The grievance will then open the negotiations notes, if needed, to determine proper interpretation then award a grievant or dismiss.

Sucks to hear it went down like that.

 

[Truckdriver]

Wow they treat you awesome there! Makes one wonder why you have such a hard-on for Delta hiring news on the other thread.

Just giving my CAL buddies a hard time. They have it great over there and they all work for a great airline. It's great to see them standing up for something. The only good thing to happen here at JetBlue the last few months is the double pay during Feb. I have to hold onto it for as long as I can.