CAL mess

[hockeypilot44]

Let's make August a "NWA August." 150% for everything over 80 hours, for everyone. With average lines over 90 hours in some seats, maybe the pinch would be enough not to furlough.

Too bad NWA is losing 150% pay over 80 hours in the merger. It's just one of many things that NWA has now and won't have after the merger. I didn't realize things were that bad at CAL.

 

[Gottafly74]

Chalk me up as one of the guys that has not answered his phone either. Ive finally shut it off because of waking me up at 2am-6am. Seven calls altogether the last 2 days. As a junior lineholder, there are somethings more important than money. Ie: time with family.

 

[densoo]

Chalk me up as one of the guys that has not answered his phone either. Ive finally shut it off because of waking me up at 2am-6am. Seven calls altogether the last 2 days. As a junior lineholder, there are somethings more important than money. Ie: time with family.

My "alarm" went off again this morning just after 8. Didn't answer it.

 

[JohnQ]

Do I understand this correctly? Delta is asking for pilot leaves? I was not aware of that. I thought you guys were going to hire by the end of the year?

For starters, believe no hiring rumors until you actually see the guys in new-hire indoc. I think we all agree with that.

What he was referring to was the SILs. SILs were a neat little thing agreed to a few years ago. The idea is that when mgmt sees a temporary overmanning in a category (such as this fall's large drawdown in block hours) one way they can attempt to deal with it is to offer SILs, like we have for Sept.

An SIL does not ever have to be posted by crew resources, nor is any pilot ever obligated to bid on one or accept one. However, if a pilot did do so, and was awarded one, he would receive 55 hours pay for the month, but also would be on a one-week vacation with absolutely zero contact required to the company.

The company saves a few $$ because most likely the pilot(s) in question would have bid reserve and sat around not doing much. On the other hand, sitting on reserve (even if you don't fly) still entails a contact and required availability. So for the pilot who doesn't mind losing 15 hours pay (our reserve guarantee is 70) for a month off with no required contact with the company, the SIL can be a good deal.

In fact I know guys who have been awarded two consecutive SILs, then get 60 days of military orders. Works well for them!

 

[Airbus_Driver]

Thats still pretty incredible at 3 years. Been at NWA for 10 years and I am nowhere close to upgrade. With the merger pending with DAL, its impossible for me to even guess when upgrade will occur?

 

[JohnQ]

Do I understand this correctly? Delta is asking for pilot leaves? I was not aware of that. I thought you guys were going to hire by the end of the year?

For starters, believe no hiring rumors until you actually see the guys in new-hire indoc. I think we all agree with that.

What he was referring to was the SILs. SILs were a neat little thing agreed to a few years ago. The idea is that when mgmt sees a temporary overmanning in a category (such as this fall's large drawdown in block hours) one way they can attempt to deal with it is to offer SILs, like we have for Sept. SIL stands for Supplementary Incentive Line.

SILs are one-month-at-a-time entities, only apply to the specific categories that crew resources deems appropriate, do not ever have to be posted by crew resources, nor is any pilot ever obligated to bid on one or accept one if one is indeed offered. However, if a pilot did do so, and was awarded one, he would receive 55 hours pay for the month, but also would get the month off with absolutely zero contact required to the company. This is in addition to any regular vacation the pilot has for the year.

The company saves a few $$ because most likely the pilot(s) in question would have bid reserve and sat around not doing much and getting 70 hrs pay, the reserve guarantee. On the other hand, sitting on reserve (even if you don't fly) still entails a contact and required availability. So for the pilot who doesn't mind losing 15 hours pay for a month off with no required contact with the company, the SIL can be a good deal.

In fact I know guys who have been awarded two consecutive SILs and spent 60 days flying for the reserves!

It has been awhile since SILs were posted, but we have quite a few for Sept.

 

[embpic1]

Chalk me up as one of the guys that has not answered his phone either. Ive finally shut it off because of waking me up at 2am-6am. Seven calls altogether the last 2 days. As a junior lineholder, there are somethings more important than money. Ie: time with family.

This reminds me of my Great Lakes days when junior manning was rampant. On days off, you never answered your phone. You would always let the machine answer it. Junior manning was always the biggest QOL issue for me. I am sooo glad I can answer the phone today and say 'Nope'.

 

[Gottafly74]

I've been thinking about this whole mess, The only way I would accept a junior man assignment was if the money I earned went directly to assist those who may be furloughed in the near future. Would have been a novel idea the union could have come up with. What better way to show your fellow brothers and sisters that you are on their side and you actually care about what maybe coming down the road for them.

 

[Ex737Driver]

Its already happened...Especially since they offered the CAs 150% pay to fly in the right seat.....F**king Scabs!!!

Are all the FO's positions being picked up actually being picked up by scabs?

 

[Whine Lover]

Do any of you understand how foolish these posts look/are?

No. You don't.

This has been going on Ad Infinitum.

MANAGEMENT sits back and laughs.

Fools.

Glad I am gone from this Industry...Ship of Fools.

YKMKR

 

[densoo]

Glad I am gone from this Industry

Then why are you keeping up with it by reading this forum?
p.s., if you reply to this post, you're not gone.

 

[Golden Falcon]

"Wanking"= choking the chicken, shaking hands with the unemployed..pulling ur pud...get it?

 

[SFR]

CAL is not that bad. This is the best aviation job I have ever had, but I do bid reserve and don't fly a lot (Usually 5-10 days per month).

If you chose to commute then you do it to yourself.

 

[Jetjockey]

CAL is not that bad. This is the best aviation job I have ever had, but I do bid reserve and don't fly a lot (Usually 5-10 days per month).

If you chose to commute then you do it to yourself.

Some don't do it to themselves just because they like to commute. For some of us, this isn't the first major airline. Some are on their 2nd, 3rd or even 4th. If you started over on first year pay, and moved the family every time you'd be broke and divorced.

Let's face it, CAL has the worse base choices of about any Major airline. Maybe those satellite bases are right around the corner now that all flaws are worked out of PBS. <Heavy sarcasm>

 

[Crucianpilot]

Some don't do it to themselves just because they like to commute. For some of us, this isn't the first major airline. Some are on their 2nd, 3rd or even 4th. If you started over on first year pay, and moved the family every time you'd be broke and divorced.

Let's face it, CAL has the worse base choices of about any Major airline. Maybe those satellite bases are right around the corner now that all flaws are worked out of PBS. <Heavy sarcasm>

My commute to IAH has been the easiest I have ever done in my 17 yrs in this business. I regularly commute on the day of my trip and almost always get home on the last day. Yes, there are times it has been tight but the majority of the time it is a piece of cake. As for EWR or CLE, don't know how that would be but so far so good.

 

[QOL_is_great:)]

think of the $$ ya get

August bid has 737 FOs flying 90 plus hr lines, jr manning has been going on all week and a memo was just posted for voluntary jr manning until the 28th....but don't worry, you'll all get a vacation in Sept when you get furloughed. This airline is about as big of a joke as the union that can't do anything for us. I like the blastmail that went out saying they were going to demand to rerun the IAH 73 BES, but then decided it was ok, they didnt want to impose to big of a problem to the company, so once again we get to take it in the shorts while the worthless union does nothing for us......Anyone else having this problem??

Think of the $$$ those FOs are making since some don't make a big coin. Gotta be a bright side to something in this industry.

 

[whatitdoing?]

Uuhh.....hell I'm too tired to see if you're joking. Going back to sleep because of my complete EXHAUSTION at CAL......

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

Think of the $$$ those FOs are making since some don't make a big coin. Gotta be a bright side to something in this industry.

Yeah, $2800/month (that's about 90 hrs on 1st year pay) is great coin. <sarcasm>

 

[Phrogs4ever]

Uuhh.....hell I'm too tired to see if you're joking. Going back to sleep because of my complete EXHAUSTION at CAL......

Get that "curvy" woman off your shoulders and you might not be so tired.

 

[densoo]

Yeah, $2800/month (that's about 90 hrs on 1st year pay) is great coin. <sarcasm>

I think not only the company, but the union took notice of events last week. The fact that ops could not fill the 737 right seats with $2800/mo FOs and had to fill them $225 CAs (this is what 1.5 x pay was) was a wakeup call. There is unity in the bottom third and they make up enough to move the company. The negotiating committee has got to notice this. They will demand their due and they have the unity to get it.

Once again it should be noted that while the A Fund cannot be touched outside of bankruptcy, the lump is a negotiated item and can be contractually eliminated. The bottom third--and really everyone hired after 1999--would eliminate this lump sum option away in a heartbeat for better work rules and pay. How would like to have to depend on an airline to pay an annuity to you for the rest of your life. The likelihood that you'd see it all seems remote. If I'm not mistaken, annuities were taken/reduced when turned over to the PBGC in recent bankruptcies and were thereby capped at $29,500/yr.

The negotiating committee is going to have to start looking hard at how to get yes votes in the bottom third of the pilot group. The company would love to do away with the lump sum option. The possibility of this happening is real and could send the over 65 pilots--and many more than that--running for the exits.