ABX furloughs

[xspud]

The Stewards have not had any reports of crews being flown commercially from ANC-KIX.

I'm quite sure there is no more commercial pax service between ANC and Japan/Asia. It has been quite a few years since ANC has been required as a fuel stop for any of the pax carriers. So deadheading to/from ANC connecting to a commercial should not be an issue for us.

 

[abxaviator]

I'm quite sure there is no more commercial pax service between ANC and Japan/Asia. It has been quite a few years since ANC has been required as a fuel stop for any of the pax carriers. So deadheading to/from ANC connecting to a commercial should not be an issue for us.

True, I just checked the June Skyguide and the only flight from ANC to the Orient is to Taipei, Taiwan. No doubt the Company is committing abuses, just not this one.

 

[HeavyjetDC8]

As far as the days off, the schedules for some do indeed show non-flying days as "off", but a day out of Domicile is by no means an Off day. Any crewmember not receiveing 15/14 days off in ILN is due additional pay and below 13, restoration days. I'm not aware of any issue with this not being the case yet, but were that to be the case it would be aggressively fought.

It would seem that some crew members are having reserve lines reworked to accommodate ANA flying - perhaps a ratchet effect to see how far this can be pushed as well as being an act of desperation to fulfill ANA's contractual obligations that can't be met under the present CBA.


On the note of aggressive fighting: note that the company hasn't resorted to legal action over our alleged effort to avoid open flying. If they truly believed their case to be watertight they would have had us in court as of yesterday, but significantly they haven't. What would the ANA response be to the realization that the company behind their start-up operation is using pilots coerced into doing the flying? I'm quite certain that Hete has assured them that all is well.

Union meeting tonight.

 

[mannyaplus11]

Best of luck on your fight, guys.

Former ABEXER

 

[gearjockey]

Assistant to the assistant CP Jarvis is coming over to drink my beer and eat my food this weekend. Should I be worried?

According to some folks at the 1224 meeting last night, this occurred the weekend prior to recent furlough announcement (Some of those furloughed were in his company). This may be a case where you should definitely kill the messenger (figuratively, of course).

 

[Bitter]

missed the meeting.......anything informative? Will it be archived?

 

[oldawg]

missed the meeting.......anything informative? Will it be archived?

The E board, both publicly and privately, is working to bring all of the furloughed pilots back to work. they have proposed 2 ways of doing this to management.
First, offer early retirements to those pilots retiring this calander year. Management responded positively, except that they wouldn't waive the early retirement penalty. which means that few pilots will take it.
Second, reduce the amount of open flying by constructing more lines, including buildup lines, which would require more pilots on the property. They talked about several ways of doing this, including doing this for only the DC-9 F/O seat...stay tuned

There is another meeting scheduled today.

 

[BoxesRus]

Rumor has it that ABX management is threatening 21 more furloughs and parking another 6 aircraft. Might just be an attempt to intimidate us into signing off on their contract out of fear of the unknown, but historically, when they start using actual numbers you can almost count on it.

 

[Bitter]

have they forgotten they have to staff 6 more 76's this year? At charter levels not the 3.5 crew ala Dhl. So more like 5-8 crews....

Even with the 8's gone that will be a stretch, even if they do park 6 9's.

The math just does not work. They are at more than 13% ofp in the 76 if they truely show all known flying (kix), the left seat of the 9 is as bad, junior manning is at 1%.

10 or more retirements this year still to come, plus attrition for those folks that are done with the mangement style or lack of it.

I cannot for one make sense of it.

What do you all think?

 

[Bitter]

Rumor has it that ABX management is threatening 21 more furloughs and parking another 6 aircraft. Might just be an attempt to intimidate us into signing off on their contract out of fear of the unknown, but historically, when they start using actual numbers you can almost count on it.

They can meet any number they put out there, with appropriate furloughs.

but you cannot grow a profitable airline without pilots and labor co-operation!

The Co-operation is all but gone......so I guess pilots will probably follow!

 

[HeavyjetDC8]

The question I think is one of how many DC-9s they won't have to staff rather than how many 767s they will.

Last nights meeting was very disappointing. Either the gross contractual violations aren't taking place or 1224 is at a loss as to what to do about it. Furloughs have been thrown in as a diversion to pull resources away from the ANA issue, although furloughs would now seem inevitable with probably more to come.

I agree that a profitable airline cannot grow without co-operation, but a marginally profitable one can readily be shrunk with no co-operation at all.

 

[xspud]

The company doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get this contract done, so I don't see any reason for us to be. I don't see how our contract will affect parking aircraft or furloughs one way or the other. Both are going to happen or not due to circumstances outside of our control. The only thing that could save some crewmembers jobs is a radically different contractural approach to open flying and that's not going to happen, is it?

Meanwhile, if they build ANA flying to current contract, that's OK with me. If they don't, then we'd better be seeking an injunction ASAP! I'm all in favor of the additional flying, but this job isn't worth keeping if the company won't honor our contract! I was pretty interested in flying over there, but I'm beginning to question the wisdom of 23 days away. So it's probably good that the company stalled and has given us a chance to re-examine this issue. If the company is sincere when it says that furloughs are not negotiation tactics, then it doesn't make any difference how long it takes us to get a contract. Let's stay the course and get the best contract we can.

If I thought that the companies last proposal could save any jobs, I'd call the e-board and say let's put it out for a vote! But I don't believe it for a minute. I'm not speaking from any ivory tower, either. If we don't start buying a bunch more 767's I'll be out the door soon enough myself!

 

[ABXbooger]

Why can't there be a different approach to open flying? A limit on OPF to save a crewmembers job or to allow a person to upgrade to the 767, in either seat?
OPF has become such a thorn in our side it is ridiculous.

Tell me, why can't people make it on just their base salary? You cannot tell me that even the lowest paid crewmember can't make it. It's embarrasing. I try to tell people outside the profession and they can't even believe it.

Sadly, I think I see the first cracks in our unity appearing.

 

[HeavyjetDC8]

Meanwhile, if they build ANA flying to current contract, that's OK with me. If they don't, then we'd better be seeking an injunction ASAP! I'm all in favor of the additional flying, but this job isn't worth keeping if the company won't honor our contract!

Yes indeed. So where's the injunction? I though we were going to hear about one last night, but this wasn't the case. An injunction is sort of like a real bullet, a bullet point isn't. Enough of the bullet point lists - it's now time to fight.

 

[Bitter]

I am ready for War!