ASA laying the smack down on pilots

[buscap]

Let me correct you on one thing. It is faaar different to fly your 80-85 hour with 14,15 days off doing your 4 trips than it is to fly 75-80 hours on reserve, with 11 days off - being called to the airport 8 or more times a month at 4 or 6 am. If you don't agree with that then you are dilusional and I suggest you give me your line and try it! Reserves go back and forth to the airport, get shorter overnights or the minimum time at home, with a 4 am call to come back out the next day over and over. I have done both. There is no comparison!

Absolutely agree.

A reserve flying guarantee or more has a much worse QOL and a lot more fatigue than a line holder at the same hours.

And that reserve pilot is extremely likely to run up a full list of sick calls...duuhhhh?

 

[777forever]

Let me correct you on one thing. It is faaar different to fly your 80-85 hour with 14,15 days off doing your 4 trips than it is to fly 75-80 hours on reserve, with 11 days off - being called to the airport 8 or more times a month at 4 or 6 am. If you don't agree with that then you are dilusional and I suggest you give me your line and try it! Reserves go back and forth to the airport, get shorter overnights or the minimum time at home, with a 4 am call to come back out the next day over and over. I have done both. There is no comparison!

Well said. Just looking at a line holder's schedule for the month on skedplus vs a reserve, the lineholder's schedule looks very uniform and even. A Reserve's schedule is very patchy and blotted from the multiple callouts, reassignments and ready reserve.

The amount I paid for gas in a month increased tremendously when I went from lineholder to reserve. Add that to the 75hr guarantee pay and less per diem, you're looking at much lower pay for a reserve compared to lineholder. Its like two different jobs

 

[Speedtape]

Well said. Just looking at a line holder's schedule for the month on skedplus vs a reserve, the lineholder's schedule looks very uniform and even. A Reserve's schedule is very patchy and blotted from the multiple callouts, reassignments and ready reserve.

The amount I paid for gas in a month increased tremendously when I went from lineholder to reserve. Add that to the 75hr guarantee pay and less per diem, you're looking at much lower pay for a reserve compared to lineholder. Its like two different jobs

I am a long time line holder. But, I remember reserve quite well and everything you have said is absolutely true. What a Reserve flies is one issue. The more he flies, usually in patchy segments with multiple jerking arounds, the more unpleasant the job becomes. Then, add on to it that, even if not flying, he is waiting around with a 2 hour call out that still adds to fatigue.

If Reserve was desirable, then more line holders (senior folks) would bid it. It is something I would never bid and hope I never have to experience again. What makes it worse for these guys, is there is little HOPE that their plight will change, since there is little growth on the horizon. And, with the scheduling practices in place where low time lines are being built and then flying is forced down to reserves for cost savings, this practice will continue into the near future.

Not heralding PBS, but some of this will take a new direction when PBS is implemented. There will be minimal Open Time, more regular, lines and less reserves. The reserves will then predominately be used to cover sick calls. That should provide some relief for current Reserve Line Holders. At least that was the message being espoused at the PBS Roadshows.

 

[ugasucks]

Watch out for those letters in your file. It cost a few people jobs at Delta when they were hiring last time. Need to get that fixed. If ur sick ur sick and u shouldn't be punished!

 

[Speedtape]

wish I worked there... would bring a Fed with me to meeting - nothing like breaking FAR's when it comes to flying not sick.... you ASA guys need to standup and grow a pair... sounds like Colgan all over again - pressure to fly when sick... the Feds and local newspapers would LOVE to hear about it....

No one at this company says you should fly sick or fatigued. To the contrary, they tell you not to fly sick or fatigued!

However, that does not change the fact that they can have a reasonable and "legal" attendance policy. In fact, I was told that it was challenged in a grievance back when it was implemented. However, it was upheld as both reasonable and legal.

A suggestion to counter it, possibly, is to always go to a Doctor when you are sick and always use FMLA when possible. FMLA is not difficult to use, but you have to know a few basic elements of the law, and be proactive in getting the paperwork filled out asap. I used it recently, and before going to the Doctor, I went to the company website, noticed the Company I would be applying, downloaded the paperwork, filled out the paperwork as much as allowed, took the paperwork to the Doctor on my visit, and left with the paperwork completed. I faxed it in when I got home and it was approved in a couple of days. It takes a little bit of effort, but that's the game.

If you do not meet FMLA coverage, at least get a Doctor's note or save the bill to prove that you were in his office. It is my understanding, under the recently enacted HIPPA laws, that the company can not require you to state why you were sick, as this is protected information under law.

What's a Doctor visit cost? 20 bucks? Cheap insurance.

They have not applied their policy uniformly, which might be a problem in a termination or discipline case, or so one of the Reps told me.

 

[SPDBRD747400]

Glad to see B.S. outta Concourse C!!! Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya! I didn't trust or like him...Enjoy the GO and his best buddy S.H.!

 

[Max Q]

Anybody comparing an 85 hour line to 85 hours on reserve is a fool.

 

[SLUF4]

Why should I have to waste money and tax the healthcare system everytime I'm sick just to appease the company? Say I have a cold-I know it's going away in a few days-I shouldn't have to bother a doctor just to avoid reprimand from management. They should maybe just trust me like they do to fly their airplanes.

 

[Max Q]

The CPU (chief pilot unpaid) days on my schedule have proven to me that the company wants me to come in to work sick and unfit. Additionally, if weather and road conditions are unsafe, they would also prefer I make my duty in on time or I can expect a deduction from my 75 hour min.

 

[CRJ's suck]

I'm not a pilot but at one of my previous jobs I got a 'verbal warning' letter in my file due to being late 4 times in a rolling 12 month period. The kicker was 3 of those late shows totaled 4 minutes of tardiness. I hate being late so i was usually anywhere from 15-20 minutes early, but we couldn't punch in until 10 minutes prior to our shift. I'd forget to punch in then i would remember and punch in 1-2 minutes late. Didn't feel like filling out the missed punch in paperwork so I got screwed. The last late punch I had was 1 1/2 hours if I remember right, I'll admit I over slept on that one, working midnights can do that to you sometimes. According to the company, i was receiving the letter do to "showing a pattern of tardiness". REALLY!

Just CYA guys/gals, the company and management at alot of companies will try to screw you over more times than not. Not all companies operate like this but there are plenty of them out there.

 

[maxcackel]

A CP told me last year that they had a few people call in sick 15-20 times in one year and they sent the order for termination to the G.O. but after a few days the company lawyer called them back and told them no dice. The CP's were ticked and said they could not do anything about it. Guess the company lawyers new they would not win a law suite! And anyone on the 50 knows a certain female captain that only works about one trip a month if that and is still here. Wish she would just leave if she does not want to work here.

 

[Data]

Let me correct you on one thing. It is faaar different to fly your 80-85 hour with 14,15 days off doing your 4 trips than it is to fly 75-80 hours on reserve, with 11 days off - being called to the airport 8 or more times a month at 4 or 6 am. If you don't agree with that then you are dilusional and I suggest you give me your line and try it! Reserves go back and forth to the airport, get shorter overnights or the minimum time at home, with a 4 am call to come back out the next day over and over. I have done both. There is no comparison!

I never implied it was the same.

 

[sunlitpath]

Now I see why pilots leave the line and go hide-out in the training department or chief pilot's office. They avoid all the day to day mood swings and pitfalls of the flight line environment. Then they can make decisions and write policy about a world they are largely disconnected from. Their idea of "how it is on the line" is obtained from some fat senior bigmouth in the crew lounge who has 17 days off per month.

 

[sunlitpath]

How ironic, they get their precious PBS passed and then turn on the A-Hole machine toward the pilot group. We can play this game too, and there are more of us! Unspoken, coordinated action is extremely effective when dealing with these management dweebs. No more friendly banter with them. They can kiss my ass.

 

[Max Q]

Everyone just do your job and don't work sick or fatigued.