Why do ASA pilots want PBS?

[cybourg10]

Really?????????? Your Scheduling committee has complete control on how trip pairings are built?

Thats awesome if its true.

Pairings are built by the company and the company tells the union how many lines to build and what the average line divisor is going to be. It is crap in and so lately its been crap out.

 

[PapaSiera]

Really?????????? Your Scheduling committee has complete control on how trip pairings are built?

Thats awesome if its true.

Our union also selects our hotels. They do a great job with that.

 

[Nevets]

Pairings are built by the company and the company tells the union how many lines to build and what the average line divisor is going to be. It is crap in and so lately its been crap out.

Up until this month, it used to be that the scheduling committee and crew planning built the pairings concurrently. Then the scheduling committee would build the lines to whatever line divisor the company set. Operation green light...

 

[79%N1]

That is still different than PBS. Heck, in PBS IF you are senior enough you can hand puck the exact pairings you want ot of the pot and place them in your schedule. ( I know, big if). But in line bidding you get the whole line as is, no matter who built it - them or your union members.

 

[Nevets]

That is still different than PBS. Heck, in PBS IF you are senior enough you can hand puck the exact pairings you want ot of the pot and place them in your schedule. ( I know, big if). But in line bidding you get the whole line as is, no matter who built it - them or your union members.

I think that's the point, that its different. Can you actually see the pairings and what dates they start on before you bid for them?

 

[JoeMerchant]

I think that's the point, that its different. Can you actually see the pairings and what dates they start on before you bid for them?

Yes. You can build your own line out of the pairings if your seniority can hold the trip.

 

[skootertrash]

Yes. You can build your own line out of the pairings if your seniority can hold the trip.

Well thats great for the number 1 guy. Its also great with some other systems that do it, but at the end of the day the splat line which is derived from the company input parameters is what determins how well the system works.

Now all this is fine for an airline that has decided to give up it's vacation touch provission.

 

[ASA Captain]

Added bonus. If a senior guy has a week of vacation, normally he would have picked four day trips and dropped them into open time. Now, those trips are available for the guys junior to him to bid on. That increases everyone elses seniority below and is increased by the number of guys on vaca that week.

 

[79%N1]

Well thats great for the number 1 guy. Its also great with some other systems that do it, but at the end of the day the splat line which is derived from the company input parameters is what determins how well the system works.

Now all this is fine for an airline that has decided to give up it's vacation touch provission.

There is no vacation touch provision in a PBS system. ASA has combatted this with language that allows you to maximize your days off in a vaca month while getting paid more, and not having the system put trips up against your vacation days. We also have more ability to drop trips into open time. This will accomplish the same thing.

Almost all other airlines have PBS now! Delta, American, CAL, UAL, Skywest, Comair, Pinnacle, Mesaba, Mesa all have this. I'm not sure about American or Southwest and some others, but it is becoming industry standard. If you know anything about negotiating it will be hard to convince an arbitrator or NMB panel that you refuse to negotiate this provision in your contract when nearly everybody else has it. Not to mention, the system ASA is getting is as good as or better than most everybody elses! That is a losing fight. If XJT is bought and absorbed into ASA, you WILL have PBS. It is not as bad as you think....

 

[cybourg10]

There is no vacation touch provision in a PBS system. ASA has combatted this with language that allows you to maximize your days off in a vaca month while getting paid more, and not having the system put trips up against your vacation days. We also have more ability to drop trips into open time. This will accomplish the same thing.

Almost all other airlines have PBS now! Delta, American, CAL, UAL, Skywest, Comair, Pinnacle, Mesaba, Mesa all have this. I'm not sure about American or Southwest and some others, but it is becoming industry standard. If you know anything about negotiating it will be hard to convince an arbitrator or NMB panel that you refuse to negotiate this provision in your contract when nearly everybody else has it. Not to mention, the system ASA is getting is as good as or better than most everybody elses! That is a losing fight. If XJT is bought and absorbed into ASA, you WILL have PBS. It is not as bad as you think....

Which is why we need good note taking from you guys once PBS is up and running so we know what can be improved upon with added or different language.