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AA negotiators kick a pilot anthill

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aa73

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http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/10/post-10.html

AA negotiators kick a pilot anthill

6:05 PM Thu, Oct 23, 2008

Terry Maxon

Negotiators for American Airlines this week broached a taboo topic in pilot negotiations.

They brought up preferential bidding.

Preferential bidding refers to a way that pilots get their monthly schedules. In brief, a pilot tells the airline his or her preferences -- one-day trips, domestic trips, flights to New York, whatever -- and the airline's computers build a schedule that reacts to the stated preferences. The preferences of a more-senior pilot have priority over those of a less-senior pilot

The current system has the airline's computers building "lines" of flying, basically a monthly schedule of flights that pilots bid on and win based on their seniority. A pilot bids on the line that best suits his needs and desires, and hopes no one more senior wants the same sequence of flights.

If I over-simplify, I'm sorry. I invite 8,000 American pilots to improve on my explanation.

The casual observer who hasn't worked as a pilot may not spot any superiority of one system to another. But the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American's pilots, is strongly on record against preferential bidding -- to the point, I believe, that their negotiators are barred from even considering the concept.

The AA pilots who came from Trans World Airlines worked under a preferential-bidding system, and generally liked it.
Doug Gabel, chairman of the union's St. Louis base, told members in a January 2007 message:

Do I think it would be a great enhancement to our work life? You bet. Will I spend time trying to convince the pilots it will? Not on your life. The hype and spin have risen to levels that make the effort to discuss it not worth my time and energy.

The union's concern is that American would use preferential bidding to schedule its pilots more effectively, eliminating maybe 1,000 pilot jobs.

You can also attribute APA opposition to a general distrust of management's motives -- as in, if management wants it, it can't be good for the pilots.

Here's what the airline had to say about its proposal on its negotiations hotline:

On Tuesday, the company offered a revised Scheduling and Reserve proposal covering a number of topics including the establishment of a Preferential Bidding System (PBS). This, like all of the company's proposals, is not a take-it-or-leave-it offer and was intended to generate discussion about how pilots can have more control over their schedules and a better quality of life, while improving the efficiency and productivity of AA's scheduling operations.

PBS has been discussed several times in negotiations. It has been agreed to by every network carrier and allows airlines to customize the system to their needs. The program uses state-of-the-art systems compared to AA's dated software and is more cost efficient because the software provider can share the systems' costs among multiple companies, not just one airline.

The system offers pilots a variety of significant benefits:

Greater scheduling control. Pilots can input their individual scheduling preferences before their schedules are built. Today, they must choose pre-determined lines and then rely on the availability of open time to meet their scheduling needs.

Improved work-life balance. With increased control over their schedules, pilots can better align their professional responsibilities with their personal lives.

More scheduling options. Today's pre-constructed bidlines offer a limited number of lines to choose from compared to the thousands PBS can produce with pilots' input.

Better predictability. Pilots can use a standing bid and leave their preferences in place, or change their bids as necessary for vacation, holidays, special events, etc. And because pilots can input their scheduling preferences before lines are built, they will know much earlier what their month of flying will look like.

To ensure that PBS balances the needs of the company and our pilots, AA suggests establishing a joint PBS sub-committee of the Joint Scheduling Committee (JSC) to provide input into selecting a program vendor, system customization and training while also overseeing the monthly administration of the process. Pilots will be properly trained and participate in several test bids to familiarize them with the new system before it becomes effective.

Company negotiators have consistently said - from day one of negotiations - that finding ways to make our operations more efficient and productive was a top priority and we would find ways to do so without any pilot furloughs as a result of productivity gained through negotiated work rule changes. PBS is one of the ways the company can do that while improving our pilots' quality of life.

The company hopes APA will thoughtfully review and consider a system that would reduce our dependence on reserves, give pilots more say in the trips they fly and give the APA an equal seat at the table to design and manage the schedule building process.

Negotiations with the APA are scheduled to continue this afternoon and Friday. At their conclusion, the company will provide a full summary of the week's discussions including other aspects of its Scheduling and Reserve proposal such as military leave and the Credit Plan Account.

The airline also proposed raising the work month to 82 hours, with pilots allowed to work to 87 or 92 hours.

--------------------------------------------------

And how has pref bidding been received by the pilots at most airlines? NO THANKS!!
 
Preferential bidding is not a good thing. It lets management manipulate your schedule. I've used it at two airlines now and definitely would prefer the old fashioned way.
 
I think that a lot of the rejection of the system is due to the pilots not understanding limitations of the systems as well as its capabilities. This lack of understanding translates into poor contract language regarding these limitations and capabilities.

If you airline has it, fix the problems in negotiations. If yours' is about to get it, look at it long and hard, and don't let your union push it on you. I know a lot of groups gave up some good things, like vacation padding, when they addopted these systems.
 
I have never trusted AMR not to game the system.

If they let the pilot group run it (AMR delivers the trips, APA runs them on a non-AMR computer and delivers them back to AMR after the lines are built) and had the proper contractual limits, it would be ok.

What Doug said was true. He just didn't explain to the author what would be necessary for PBS to work at AA the way it worked at TWA (and hasn't worked at NWA, UAL and CAL).

TC
 
The PB system that AA wants is one with high maximum hours and nebulous in it's language so it can be manipulated easily. This management team is the master of tortured logic, twisted language, and absurd interpretations.

They want to cut another 1000 pilots from the company and have the rest working more days for while costing the company less money and making management PUP bonuses even fatter than they are now.

Of course, they can propose anything they want and the APA can respectfully decline.

At the rate AA is stonewalling negotiations, it's quite possible that AMR is in for a really turbulent next summer. In most people's opinions, AMR is out to break the pilot's union once and for all and turn it into a lapdog union like most other major airlines have now.
 
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Stay away from preferential bidding!!! It is easily manipulated by the company pre-bid, during-bid, and post-bid.
 
As far as I'm concerned preferential bidding is awesome. Here's why...

The company is going to build schedules that work best for them...PERIOD. They can either pre-build an entire month schedule up front or cob a bunch of trips together after they get the bidder input. Either way, nobody gets exactly what they want. The difference is, shouldn't you be able to get some or most of what you want?

If I was senior (and I'm not) why should I have a month that has crappy trips but is off for Christmas? If that's they way the company builds the traditional line, and my old company did, you had to choose one or the other. Why can't I have both? If I'm junior, (and in this company I am) and I need one thing, like certain overnight or a day of the week off, PBS allows me to get it. Of course I can't have weekends off and summer trips to ANC, but I'm junior so I wouldn't expect that.

Unfortunately, the PBS system requires a large amount of transparency and oversight by the union to ensure the company isn't abusing it. Ask a TWA guy what they thought of it. They set the bar.

My 2cents.
 
Wake up and look reality in the face

AA Pilots,

How can you continue to tolerate the bald-faced deceit of your management? You have a union, you have money - USE IT!

Your management holds the purse strings. Your management has proven time and again they cannot be trusted to do what they say. They will sharpshoot your contract. They will put unrelenting downward pressure on your expectations and wear you down. It's a job they take very seriously and they will never let up - never!

The only REAL solution is to take the company private, purge the BOD, fire the deadwood in management, change the culture and rebuild.

Alas, this will never happen. Please just admit that each AA pilot is just looking to "get his and get out". The majority of your group is just as bad as the management who control your careers, your emotions, your lives.

Expect more of the same. That's not conjecture - that's fact.
 
Senior people will love it.

Mid-seniority people better learn to bid or they'll be miserable.

Lower seniority people will absolutely, positively, f**king HATE IT!!
 

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