Renewed Recall rumors at CAL

[HHH]

Posts on Calforums say recalls might be soon. Anyone else heard the same thing?

 

[turbinej]

No, have not heard a word on recalls. Did hear that Jay is working on trying to get them recalled from a P2P guy in the crew room.

 

[JI Gone OH]

I just flew with a sim instructor/check airmen 2 days ago, and the latest information he had was that there would be a system bid in August with some recalls on it. He said though, that truthfully the training department was pretty disorganized and that they always seem to be the last ones to know what's going on. Take it for what its worth...

 

[Billsflyer]

Well they are short already, 9 737's by Aug, 2 777 by Oct, I would hope so. Not to mention, how many will bail once the merger is announce, they had projected 4 retirements on the last bid, thinking it will be much higher than that now. Wow, they could really be stuck in a bind, staffing wise if they don't.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

Short term VRF for June?

...consider the pot stirred.

 

[densoo]

how many will bail once the merger is announce, they had projected 4 retirements on the last bid.

Any theories on how the merger will motivate some the senior guys to retire? Other than they're just worn out from decades schlepping around airports and wondering where their next home base it going to be....

 

[Jetjockey]

Any theories on how the merger will motivate some the senior guys to retire? Other than they're just worn out from decades schlepping around airports and wondering where their next home base it going to be....

Well, this is speculative... but here are some facts. UAL, has no A fund. So in a joint collective bargaining agreement they could give all 13,000 pilots an "a" fund. ----Not likely.

Most likely, the A fund would be spun off to a third party, then it's off the books at the combined airline. In past cases, I don't ever recall a 3rd party paying out those funds in a lump sum. It would be in an annuity. Maybe it can be bargained to be a lump sum, but in my meager opinion, probably not.

I think the above is going to cause a lot of over 60 guys to take a close look at the lump sum amount, versus the prospect of being stuck with a 3rd party administered annuity. I see recalls and more than the projected 4 retirements at CAL happening.

Discuss.

 

[Billsflyer]

Short term VRF for June?

...consider the pot stirred.

What does that say from someone who does not know?

 

[justin15e]

Well, this is speculative... but here are some facts. UAL, has no A fund. So in a joint collective bargaining agreement they could give all 13,000 pilots an "a" fund. ----Not likely.

Most likely, the A fund would be spun off to a third party, then it's off the books at the combined airline. In past cases, I don't ever recall a 3rd party paying out those funds in a lump sum. It would be in an annuity. Maybe it can be bargained to be a lump sum, but in my meager opinion, probably not.

I think the above is going to cause a lot of over 60 guys to take a close look at the lump sum amount, versus the prospect of being stuck with a 3rd party administered annuity. I see recalls and more than the projected 4 retirements at CAL happening.

Discuss.

It might also be worth mentioning that these over 60 guys have been working at CAL for 20-30 years (for some of them). Merely as a pride thing, there will be some that walk from CAL just to say they retired from CAL, not United.

In addition, a lot of gummers have been doing their same thing for a long time. A lot of these guys won't want to learn a new PBS, new procedures, etc. Some will just fear change and bail. The more the merrier.

 

[pilot22]

For those of us new to mergers etc., what happens to the pilots on furlough right now? Are they on the street and then re-hired with priority? I wonder how many of the total furloughs would come back. I heard alot of guys took contracts overseas. All hearsay on my part. I just wonder how likely it would be to get hired under the new United. I guess we will have to see what the MEC's pound out. I hope they protect the already employed there and preserve the livelyhood of the guys on furlough and the potential new hires.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

They'd better recall them ASAP before the SLI gets underway... history tends to sound like a stapler with people on furlough...

 

[SuperFLUF]

For those of us new to mergers etc., what happens to the pilots on furlough right now? Are they on the street and then re-hired with priority?....

They will not need to be re-hired. They will remain on the merged seniority list. Its just that a different methodology is used when integrating the furloughed pilots.

 

[davessn763]

VRF = Voluntary reduced flying

The new ALPA merger policy gives great freedom (read what you want into that) to the merger committees if they play nice. If they don't play nice arbitration is the last resort. The beauty of the merger policy is that neither the pilot groups nor the elected reps get to approve the seniority integration, we just have to accept what is negotiated or shoved down our throats by an arbitrator.
At CAL we have 3 CA's and one FO on the merger committee. How about at UAL?

 

[DontFeedTheBear]

Short term VRF for June?

...consider the pot stirred.

The VRF's are only being offered in certain BES's (base, equip, seat) in a very limited quantity. They will continue to be offered until a bid can fix staffing. They are not indicative of recall/no recall. I would believe a recall bid is on the way, it is very overdue and needed. This place is short staffed!

Yogi

 

[Jetjockey]

They have been offering VRFs for sometime now, nothing new in June.

 

[Homer Jay]

Good news for the 147

13. Will there be any involuntary furloughs in front-line workgroups as a result of the merger?

Given normal attrition and retirements, we currently expect on a system-wide basis that we will hire and/or recall from furlough employees in all major frontline workgroups (pilots, flight attendants, technicians and airport agents) over time. However, when we complete the operational merger process (expected by the first half of 2012), there will likely be overlapping workforces at some airport locations, which may result in local furloughs as some employees won't be able to relocate to accept open positions elsewhere in the system. Because these local reductions will occur up to two years from now, we expect to be able to minimize and perhaps eliminate the need for local furloughs through retirements, attrition and special voluntary programs such as early outs, company offered leaves of absence and voluntary furlough initiatives.

 

[bluefin]

For those of us new to mergers etc., what happens to the pilots on furlough right now? Are they on the street and then re-hired with priority? I wonder how many of the total furloughs would come back. I heard alot of guys took contracts overseas. All hearsay on my part. I just wonder how likely it would be to get hired under the new United. I guess we will have to see what the MEC's pound out. I hope they protect the already employed there and preserve the livelyhood of the guys on furlough and the potential new hires.

Grab a jar of KY and then your ankles. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

The VRF's are only being offered in certain BES's (base, equip, seat) in a very limited quantity. They will continue to be offered until a bid can fix staffing. They are not indicative of recall/no recall. I would believe a recall bid is on the way, it is very overdue and needed. This place is short staffed!

Yogi

I would have to agree that the vrf offering this June is much smaller (fewer BES are offered) than I have seen in recent memory.

Consider the pot stirred some more. I have some good friends out on furlough and I have high hopes for them.

 

[HHH]

I would have to agree that the vrf offering this June is much smaller (fewer BES are offered) than I have seen in recent memory.

Consider the pot stirred some more. I have some good friends out on furlough and I have high hopes for them.

Paul,
Fred Abott visited the pilots yesterday in IAH and claimed there would be a bid within the next few days or weeks. They are expecting vacancies on the bid. A little hope for your friend...

Regarding VRF - The company is contractually obligated to offer VRF if the LPA falls below a certain level.