UAX Letter to UAL Pilots over jumpseat dispute.

[Nevets]

I'm a dispatcher. So, answer to question number 1. Do SkyWest Dispatchers want to be the highest paid in the regional industry? Sure we do. But are we? Yes, and no. There are a lot of factors to weigh when answering any question like this. However, SADA goes to great lengths to contact every comparable regional dispatch center to compare work rules and rates and negotiate accordingly. We have very good working relationships with the dispatch heads at most comparable regionals and freely exchange information in order to continually "raise the bar."

Number 2. Dispatchers do not use PBS. We have set up our own system of line bidding internally. the rules of which were determined by SADA and approved by management. Was this bidding system something every dispatcher wanted? Probably not, but it does have the backing of the majority of the dispatch office. I am not qualified to talk about PBS and so I will not.

So if you are a dispatcher and not qualified, why do you always chime in on union pilot issues?

 

[8HourPilot]

Working for 9E, now thats a dumb thing...so I guess you are right.

Yes, I would be telling them to immediately cancel all jumpseat agreements with the listed UAX carriers. Guess who has more leverage here? Going to war with the UAL MEC is the dumbest thing I've ever seen from a regional pilot group, and I've seen some pretty dumb things.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

It's already known that everyone on here hates my guts,

Not true. I am a fan of the SKW DX Gang on here.

As far as the original post.....

If it's a software glitch, then have the Captains get off their asses in the meantime and go sort it out at the gate if need be.

It's the Capt's jumpseat, not the friggin' computer program's jumpseat or the gate agent's jumpseat.

Bite the bullet in the meantime until the glitch can be fixed and sort it out correctly for yourselves.

 

[Poahi]

I... fix your end of YOUR recriprocial jumpseat agreement or lose it. Nothing more, nothing less!
...

That seems to be the rub here. But.....

1. The UAL MEC didn't write the software.

2. They are not the enemy here.

3. They want to get to work too.

I find it hard to believe there was a conspiracy with the union and management to block regional pilots from the jumpseat. I also find it hard to believe they wouldn't put pressure on United management to get the issue resolved.

 

[doug_or]

3. They want to get to work too.

I find it hard to believe there was a conspiracy with the union and management to block regional pilots from the jumpseat. I also find it hard to believe they wouldn't put pressure on United management to get the issue resolved.

From the communication I have received from my J/S coordinator, UALPA has been the biggest stumbling block to getting this resolved.

 

[Poahi]

From the communication I have received from my J/S coordinator, UALPA has been the biggest stumbling block to getting this resolved.

Please explain....

 

[doug_or]

What is there to explain?

 

[WalterSobchak]

Who's code is the flight operating under? Who's airline purchases every seat on that flight?

They purchase every seat in the cabin. The extra seat up front doesn't belong to the mainline partner.

 

[Caspian27]

Please explain....

The way it was communicated to us by our JSC, when the priority was changed in the computer system, that change was requested by UALPA. They wanted priority even on UAX flights. So trying to go to UALPA and work things out wasn't going to be the solution since they are the ones that requested the change.

It's just another example of how mainline looks at Regional guys as second class citizens. For an OO pilot the only way to work around this is to list non-rev on the flight, to maintain a higher priority in the system...but an OO pilot deosn't even have access to UA's Skynet to list. He has to call the 800 number, hich is real user-friendly. Then if the flight is full, approach the gate agent and tell them you are authorized for the JS...but as you know there's where the JS listing priority comes into play.

Bottom line: a pilot should have priority on his own equipment, and the res computer should show that. If UALPA doesn't like that, have UA purchase all the UAX regionals and have them crewed by UA pilots.

 

[XPOO]

So if you are a dispatcher and not qualified, why do you always chime in on union pilot issues?

I'm sorry, I thought you knew that dispatchers are ALSO qualified jumpseat riders. But if you want to be belligerent with me about it, then why are you always chiming in on SkyWest matters when you don't even work for them. I don't see ExpressJet's name anywhere in this letter to the UA Pilots, which means this doesn't concern you one bit.

 

[Flying Illini]

Who's code is the flight operating under? Who's airline purchases every seat on that flight?

Obviously mainline. However, mainline also outsourced the work. I don't see why some mainline pilots (most seem to remember that they too once worked for a regional) feel that all regional pilots are scum. It makes no sense to me. We all do the EXACT same job.

I don't know why some mainline pilots feel that they have priority on an a/c that is being operated by a different company, regardless of the colors on the airplane.

This is a simple fix. Code the computer to recognize the different flight #'s and be done with it. To me, the current situation is mainline being stubborn and the regionals finally getting tired of being walked on.

If I ever go to fly for a mainline, any mainline, I hope I don't forget where I came from.

 

[Newpilot2b]

Huh?
I think the letter is working. Enough that PCL called a friend at UAL and is talking about it. Bet your friend didn't even know there was a problem did he? Sometimes a slap upside the head is all thats needed with a young one.

 

[PCL_128]

They purchase every seat in the cabin. The extra seat up front doesn't belong to the mainline partner.

Agreed. That seat belongs to the Captain. Look people, this shouldn't be a big problem. The gate agent and her computer system don't own your jumpseat; you do. If the computer system isn't prioritizing the way you'd like, then you prioritize yourself per your FOM's guidance. I sure as hell didn't need a computer program to tell me who was riding on my jumpseat. If a UAL and a UAX pilot both show up for a UAX jumpseat, the computer may give the UAL guy priority, but you have the final decision as to who rides. You don't need the software to agree with you.

 

[PCL_128]

Huh?
I think the letter is working. Enough that PCL called a friend at UAL and is talking about it. Bet your friend didn't even know there was a problem did he?

No, he didn't, but he immediately got off the phone and told the CA he was flying with. How much you wanna bet that this CA won't be allowing UAX jumpseaters on his airplane anymore? And how much you wanna bet that word of this idiotic letter is spreading around UAL and pissing them off? They aren't going to demand a change from their MEC. They're going to demand a counter-attack. That's what happens when you threaten an already pissed off group. They aren't going to suddenly sympathize with your plight when you threaten them. The smart solution would have been a letter that was only informative and contained no threats. Adding the threat into the letter was a huge mistake. Prepare for war.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Prepare for war.

....one could argue the war has been going on for some time...

 

[BoilerUP]

Prepare for war.

Mutually-assured destruction, at that.

 

[PCL_128]

Mutually-assured destruction, at that.

Agreed.

 

[JoeMerchant]

....it worked with the Soviet Union.....

 

[PBRstreetgang]

That seems to be the rub here. But.....

1. The UAL MEC didn't write the software.

2. They are not the enemy here.

3. They want to get to work too.

I find it hard to believe there was a conspiracy with the union and management to block regional pilots from the jumpseat. I also find it hard to believe they wouldn't put pressure on United management to get the issue resolved.

Well,
1)I did not write the software either, but my jumpseat will be given to a pilot from another company ahead of me.

2) Agreed, just want my jumpseat to remain my jumpseat

3)If they wanna go to work on my jumpseat they better get the agreed upon recriprical jumseat agreement deets fixed.

PBR

 

[ArcticFlier]

Frankly, I'm not too concerned about what big ol' UAL is going to do. Like others have said/written, I can get from coast to coast on any UAX carrier. Let's see how easy it is for a UAL guy to get out of many of the small markets served only by UAX carriers starting August 1.

GD UAL MEC has been the problem the entire time here, and it's time he fixes it, or starts eating some of the crap he's been shoveling.