ABX Hiring!?!

[ABXbooger]

Yeah, the age 65 thing really chaps my....you know...especially when we have made retirement a justification for copious amounts of OPF. What are these guys gonna do now that they have another 5 years to go. In fact one of OPF's biggest supporters was supposed to retire next month, im sure he'll continue his trend. Oh and how about the captain bragging on the bus the other day about flying almost 960 hours this year. That's what I said NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two guesses who it was...

 

[oldawg]

I agree that we must finally put an end to our current open flying program. It is the single most destructive policy to our pilot unity. The pilots must find some way of limiting or stopping the amount that any individual can fly in a bid period, or annually. We need to tell our E Board and negotiators to make this change happen. Message boards won't get it done.

 

[ABXbooger]

Done and done, Dawg. They didn't listen to me the first time I was furloughed, but they did listen the second time, different group, though.

By the way, have you all listened to the hotline this weekend?

 

[Clipperskip]

I agree that we must finally put an end to our current open flying program. It is the single most destructive policy to our pilot unity. The pilots must find some way of limiting or stopping the amount that any individual can fly in a bid period, or annually. We need to tell our E Board and negotiators to make this change happen. Message boards won't get it done.

Posting on a message board may not get it done but it certainly is a fine place to start. The timing is significant in that coincides with the Wilson Research Group Poll. Just a note....of the twenty 767 Captains who bid more than day of overtime in December twelve of them have a seniority number of 50 or less. I have heard for more than 15 years how these guys have built our union but it would appear to me that they must accept responsibility for their selfishness and lack of unity as of late. You have heard your friends talking in the cafeteria at night complaining of our union's lack of leadership. What a joke! If the truth be told our union leadership has been superb. It has been our support of the leadership that has been disappointing. Those who do not support the effort seem to always have an excuse; I'm in my last five years before retirement, I have kids in college, I supported the union effort last time, blah, blah, blah....As much as I am disturbed by this phenomenon it is time talk out our differences and start with a fresh page. Perhaps we can do that at our meetings this week in the Hoot.

 

[oldawg]

By the way, have you all listened to the hotline this weekend?

Yes, it sounds like the former "By The Book" plan...encourage your Capt to fly long range cruise and the cleared flight plan(no direct to headings)...except on Saturday mornings, of course

 

[Jurassic Jet]

Two guesses who it was...

Yeah, and the first guess doesn't count! :laugh:

I just looked at his schedule. He had a grand total of 22 days off for the whole year!

 

[hvydriver]

Yeah, and the first guess doesn't count! :laugh:

I just looked at his schedule. He had a grand total of 22 days off for the whole year!

Wow. What an unbelieveable tool!

 

[ABXbooger]

yeah, bragging in the crew bus about how much he has flown and how much he is going to make...I was impressed to say the least.

 

[hvydriver]

yeah, bragging in the crew bus about how much he has flown and how much he is going to make...I was impressed to say the least.

I'll bet. You know, it's snow and ice season. Those airstairs can get pretty darn slippery.....

 

[ABXbooger]

If that happened, they would have to bottom 50, bottom 75 the captains

 

[nitefr8dog]

Wow. What an unbelieveable tool!

Let me guess BW.

 

[Clipperskip]

Let me guess BW.

DING, DING, DING, We have a winner!

 

[hvydriver]

If that happened, they would have to bottom 50, bottom 75 the captains

I don't understand ABXspeak. Can you translate that B?

 

[Jurassic Jet]

I don't understand ABXspeak. Can you translate that B?

If we do not have an equivalent number of days of open time bid as there are hard lines, then that allows the company to assign junior man trips to the first 75 line holders in reverse seniority. If that still doesn't cover it, they can then start up the list for 50 more.

For example, in January, there is 97 hard lines on the DC9. There must be the equvalent of 97 days of open time bid or the company will envoke the rule until it reaches 97 at which point it must stop.

Our resident "tool" will usually cover at least 15% of the required trips to prevent that from happening.:laugh:

Just takes a few more "tools" each month and we are all set.

 

[hvydriver]

Thanks JJ. If they try to J/M you doing that, is the only way out a sick call?

 

[Jurassic Jet]

Thanks JJ. If they try to J/M you doing that, is the only way out a sick call?

Pretty much unless you have extenuating circumstances which make you "unavailable". Regardless, you will have a very high probability of having scheduling tell you that you must see a Chief Pilot if you decline a JRM trip.

They can't really charge you a sick day however since you were off anyways. If they do, they have to pay you for it.

 

[hvydriver]

Pretty much unless you have extenuating circumstances which make you "unavailable". Regardless, you will have a very high probability of having scheduling tell you that you must see a Chief Pilot if you decline a JRM trip.

They can't really charge you a sick day however since you were off anyways. If they do, they have to pay you for it.

Ah. They can only junior man us once every 90 days.

 

[erichartmann]

JJ, Box-Hauler, Booger, ditto here. We need to push to get this opf to stop. Our advancement has been stifled by the wh**es as well as pilots put on the street because of it. And now with 65 it is even more so. Limit to something like 3 days per month max and none if there are furloughs that have not passed up recall. Enough is enough. With all that is going on we may now have the numbers to get this through?

You, sirs, are fools who clearly have not thought through the full implications implicit in your desire to advance your career by banning open flying.

The real problem is the airline has been stagnant or shrinking for many years now. Your "solution" would pay small benefits to a relatively small group and/or potentially cause the financial collapse of the airline. FOOLS.

 

[erichartmann]

I don't understand ABXspeak. Can you translate that B?

It's also helpful to know the history behind that clause. Prior to the '92 agreement those days that can be bottom 50/75ed back into the lines were part of the lines. We got minimal extra pay for them ($190.00) per day for a DC-8 Capt. and no hourly pay unless you went over 65 for the month. Now we get 4.5 hrs minimum, the actual flight time or the scheduled flight time, whichever is greater regarless of the pay credit for the line if we bid them up front.

Essentially, during a time of growth we allowed the company to grow without incuring the payroll added costs of hiring new crewmembers for a period of time. We also tied this to a nearly 45% pay increase across the board, more for relatively junior crewmembers.

Eventually, of course, even open time bidding did not cover all the flying. Management has resorted to Junior Manning, which unfortunately was pegged at a 2.5 hours per assignment and did not increase the cost to the company as fast as payroll added costs (healthcare, vacation, etc) increased. It is now cheaper to staff by junior manning than to hire, hence part of the problem. Another piece of the puzzle is the stagnation/shrinkage that has occured over the last 10 years or so.

Those who would amend the contact to ban open time conviently overlook the increase in pay and QOL that occured at that time. QOL, as a result of the J/M policies of management has gone downhill in recent years. Unfortunately, I very much doubt management will agree to a serious reduction or ban of open flying in the contact without some concessions in pay to may up for the loss of productivity.

IMHO the best we will be able to do is fix the J/M problem.

 

[abxaviator]

Management does not get to agree with me or anyone else deciding NOT to bid OPF.