Majik
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2001
- Posts
- 320
Our contract at NetJets states that we are equipment locked in the 1st plane we are assigned to for 2 years. Therefore you are prohibited from being awarded a Captain bid in any plane other than your own. The contract also states that if someone junior to you is able to sucessfully bid a Captain position in a plane that you were prohibited from bidding, then you and anyone senior to that person will receive Captain's Pay (called bypass pay).
NJA was growing so fast before 9/11, that many people were able to bid and be awarded Captain during their first few months of employment. That resulted in everyone senior to them being awarded Captain Bypass Pay. Most every pilot hired prior to 9/11 received bypass pay during the 1st 6 months of employment.
That has changed since 9/11. Now the bids are few and far between and, when announced, are awarded to pilots that are already receiving bypass pay.
Here's the current annual payscale for FO vs CA for years 1-4:
1. 27,108 _ _ 37,560
2. 28,368 _ _ 39,816
3. 29,628 _ _ 47,208
4. 30,888 _ _ 57,996
We have over 100 pilots still stuck on FO pay and some have been there for over 2 years. For over a year there has been a grassroots effort to have everyone pass on a particular bid so that the most junior FO would receive the award, thus allowing everyone senior to him to receive the bypass pay that pilots hired before 9/11 received.
This effort has failed because it didn't seem fair to ask someone to not bid into a larger plane. If our new contract had passed, it might have meant that someone would give up the potential to receive additional salary if the contract turned out to pay more if you were in a larger plane.
Then NJA began acquiring the 400XP. Since this was smaller than any other plane in our fleet, nobody would be giving up a potential raise if they allowed one captain bid to pass so the FOs would get bypass pay. The grassroots effort began to grow support and became very organized, due the the diligent efforts of many individuals sympathetic to the plight of the FOs. Every pilot on the seniority list that would potentially bid the 400XP was called and asked to pass on this one bid. The next bid would come out in 3 weeks and they could bid that one. This sacrifice would allow over 100 pilots and their families to go from $27,108/year to $39,816/year and, if our contract drags out for another year, their pay would increase to $47,208. That's a huge difference and would allow many of our brothers/sisters and families to get off public assistance.
Everything was in place to make this happen. Then, the bid award was announced and we discovered one of our pilots in the CE-750, already receiving bypass pay and also holding the most senior schedule (7/7), bid and was awarded the 400XP captain's slot. He could have bid the same slot if he would have waited only 3 more weeks for the next bid. He gained nothing other than the ability to build PIC time 3 weeks earlier than if he had waited for the next bid. He gained no additional benefit in money or schedule, only the 3 additional weeks to build PIC time.
Some of us think this was the act of a selfish individual. He took advantage of a situation that allowed him to jump ahead of other eligible bidders, who generously withheld their bid to try to get the 100 plus FOs bypass pay. Those bidders that could have held this bid (were more senior than the guy who was awarded the bid) may feel inclined to not withold their next bid in case there's another individual that takes advantage of their offer of generosity to the FOs. This may cause any additional efforts to help these individuals fail, not to mention the waste of time it took to organize this effort and contact every pilot on the seniority list.
At a minumum, this individual costs over 100 of our FOs a minumum of $10,452/year. Some of them would have seen their pay increase as much as $17,580/year.
All of us agree this pilot was within his legal right to bid the 400XP. Many of us think his decision not to wait 3 weeks for the next bid was one of the most selfish acts we've seen in a long time.
This individual's only benefit for this bid is the ability to build PIC time 3 weeks earlier than if he had withheld his bid for one period. I imagine his goal is to get enough PIC time to go to a SWA or another major that will hire him. I see nothing wrong with wanting to move up to a better job.
Would you want this pilot to be employed with your company, share your cockpit, and be a voting member of your union?
NJA was growing so fast before 9/11, that many people were able to bid and be awarded Captain during their first few months of employment. That resulted in everyone senior to them being awarded Captain Bypass Pay. Most every pilot hired prior to 9/11 received bypass pay during the 1st 6 months of employment.
That has changed since 9/11. Now the bids are few and far between and, when announced, are awarded to pilots that are already receiving bypass pay.
Here's the current annual payscale for FO vs CA for years 1-4:
1. 27,108 _ _ 37,560
2. 28,368 _ _ 39,816
3. 29,628 _ _ 47,208
4. 30,888 _ _ 57,996
We have over 100 pilots still stuck on FO pay and some have been there for over 2 years. For over a year there has been a grassroots effort to have everyone pass on a particular bid so that the most junior FO would receive the award, thus allowing everyone senior to him to receive the bypass pay that pilots hired before 9/11 received.
This effort has failed because it didn't seem fair to ask someone to not bid into a larger plane. If our new contract had passed, it might have meant that someone would give up the potential to receive additional salary if the contract turned out to pay more if you were in a larger plane.
Then NJA began acquiring the 400XP. Since this was smaller than any other plane in our fleet, nobody would be giving up a potential raise if they allowed one captain bid to pass so the FOs would get bypass pay. The grassroots effort began to grow support and became very organized, due the the diligent efforts of many individuals sympathetic to the plight of the FOs. Every pilot on the seniority list that would potentially bid the 400XP was called and asked to pass on this one bid. The next bid would come out in 3 weeks and they could bid that one. This sacrifice would allow over 100 pilots and their families to go from $27,108/year to $39,816/year and, if our contract drags out for another year, their pay would increase to $47,208. That's a huge difference and would allow many of our brothers/sisters and families to get off public assistance.
Everything was in place to make this happen. Then, the bid award was announced and we discovered one of our pilots in the CE-750, already receiving bypass pay and also holding the most senior schedule (7/7), bid and was awarded the 400XP captain's slot. He could have bid the same slot if he would have waited only 3 more weeks for the next bid. He gained nothing other than the ability to build PIC time 3 weeks earlier than if he had waited for the next bid. He gained no additional benefit in money or schedule, only the 3 additional weeks to build PIC time.
Some of us think this was the act of a selfish individual. He took advantage of a situation that allowed him to jump ahead of other eligible bidders, who generously withheld their bid to try to get the 100 plus FOs bypass pay. Those bidders that could have held this bid (were more senior than the guy who was awarded the bid) may feel inclined to not withold their next bid in case there's another individual that takes advantage of their offer of generosity to the FOs. This may cause any additional efforts to help these individuals fail, not to mention the waste of time it took to organize this effort and contact every pilot on the seniority list.
At a minumum, this individual costs over 100 of our FOs a minumum of $10,452/year. Some of them would have seen their pay increase as much as $17,580/year.
All of us agree this pilot was within his legal right to bid the 400XP. Many of us think his decision not to wait 3 weeks for the next bid was one of the most selfish acts we've seen in a long time.
This individual's only benefit for this bid is the ability to build PIC time 3 weeks earlier than if he had withheld his bid for one period. I imagine his goal is to get enough PIC time to go to a SWA or another major that will hire him. I see nothing wrong with wanting to move up to a better job.
Would you want this pilot to be employed with your company, share your cockpit, and be a voting member of your union?
