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ASA Reserve Quality of Life Survey

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Redan

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Posts
251
Any ASA pilot who is concerned with our reserve conditions and hasn't done so yet should be sure to complete the Reserve Quality of Life Survey. This is available on the ALPA website but only through tomorrow June 24, 2011 at 1000 EDT.
 
Thanks for the reminder. I've been meaning to fill it out but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll do it tonight--in my opinion, reserve rules are the biggest weakness in the current contract. Just ask any reserve guy!
 
ASA Pilots please get this survey filled out NOW!

To access the questionnaire, follow these simple steps:

· Log onto http://crewroom.alpa.org and log in with your ALPA user ID and password.

· Click on the "Web Survey Available" graphic on the right-hand side of your screen and again when it populates the middle of the screen.

· Type in the two words on the screen and click "Continue" to assist in verifying your information and survey eligibility. Once verified, you will automatically pass through to the survey system.

· Click on the "Take Survey" link on the left-hand side of your screen.

· In the middle of the screen you will see a box listing the survey title.

· Click on the "Request Survey" button to start your survey.
 
I'm all for improving QOL for our reserves, but not at the expense of the line holders. Hope our worthless MEC thinks about that. But I'm not holding my breath.
 
I'm all for improving QOL for our reserves, but not at the expense of the line holders. Hope our worthless MEC thinks about that. But I'm not holding my breath.

I understand the importance and fairness of the seniority system, to prevent unfair cronyism from influencing upgrades and schedules, but equity and fairness should be the goal, not rewarding one group of pilots at the expense of another. Right now our reserves are extreme second-class pilots, treated like garbage compared to the line-holders. This needs to change.

Some examples of the disparity in treatment:
  • Line-holders know their final schedule by the 20th. Reserves have to wait 'til the 26th for a tentative schedule.
  • Line-holders know pretty much with certainty what days they will have off a month ahead. Reserves routinely have off days moved around at the last minute for company convenience (without the compensation a line-holder would get for this).
  • Line-holders work about 4-18 days per month. Reserves always must work 20 days per month, just about no exceptions (and for less pay!).
  • Line-holders are pay-protected when scheduling starts yanking them around. Reserves are never pay-protected (and watch the rest of their crew doing the exact same trip get much greater pay).
  • Line-holders go home at the end of their assignment. Reserves are ALWAYS told to wait around for free for another hour before begging for the privilege of being released.
  • Line-holders can pick up 200% trips on their multiple off days. Reserves are banned (by ALPA!) from picking up any premium trips on their much fewer off days.
  • Line-holders have a chance at getting weekends or even Fridays off. Reserves no longer can get a single Friday, Saturday, or Sunday off.

I'm sure the reserve guys can add more. These disparities are definitely worth expending negotiating capital on, as none of these differences should exist, regardless of the flexibility the company should need to utilize reserves efficiently.
 
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I understand the importance and fairness of the seniority system, to prevent unfair cronyism from influencing upgrades and schedules, but equity and fairness should be the goal, not rewarding one group of pilots at the expense of another. Right now our reserves are extreme second-class pilots, treated like garbage compared to the line-holders. This needs to change.

Some examples of the disparity in treatment:
  • Line-holders know their final schedule by the 20th. Reserves have to wait 'til the 26th for a tentative schedule.
  • Line-holders know pretty much with certainty what days they will have off a month ahead. Reserves routinely have off days moved around at the last minute for company convenience (without the compensation a line-holder would get for this).
  • Line-holders work about 4-18 days per month. Reserves always must work 20 days per month, just about no exceptions (and for less pay!).
    [*]Line-holders are pay-protected when scheduling starts yanking them around. Reserves are never pay-protected (and watch the rest of their crew doing the exact same trip get much greater pay).
  • Line-holders go home at the end of their assignment. Reserves are ALWAYS told to wait around for free for another hour before begging for the privilege of being released.
  • Line-holders can pick up 200% trips on their multiple off days. Reserves are banned (by ALPA!) from picking up any premium trips on their much fewer off days.
  • Line-holders have a chance at getting weekends or even Fridays off. Reserves no longer can get a single Friday, Saturday, or Sunday off.

I'm sure the reserve guys can add more. These disparities are definitely worth expending negotiating capital on, as none of these differences should exist, regardless of the flexibility the company should need to utilize reserves efficiently.

One of my biggest beefs with reserve is pay protection. Once notified, a reserve should be pay protected for whatever is on his/her schedule. When I was on reserve, there was more than one instance where the lineholder called in sick over a holiday. After I would flew the Holiday and do the short overnight, they would often have a miraculous recovery in time for the good Florida overnight or whatever. So you get screwed on the QOL, plus they jerk the trip off your schedule and you loose the pay. Double whammy.

Moved off days should be paid at 150% or 200% whatever the going rate is. This is no different than a line-holder being extended.
 
If a lineholder has a 7 hour day line on his schedule and gets sick... He is paid 7 hours. If a reserve is assigned the same trip and gets sick, he is paid 3.95. How is that fair and equitable?
 
One of my biggest beefs with reserve is pay protection. Once notified, a reserve should be pay protected for whatever is on his/her schedule. When I was on reserve, there was more than one instance where the lineholder called in sick over a holiday. After I would flew the Holiday and do the short overnight, they would often have a miraculous recovery in time for the good Florida overnight or whatever. So you get screwed on the QOL, plus they jerk the trip off your schedule and you lose the pay. Double whammy.

My favorite is when you are in the middle of an assigned 4 day, and a round trip in the middle of one of the days gets cancelled. So you sit at the airport for 4-5 hours for free on quasi-ready-reserve, and lose considerable pay that the rest of the crew gets. Stuff like this (including extremely unproductive made-up pairings) is enough to drop you right to min guarantee for the month, even though you're gone from home every day.
 
I understand the importance and fairness of the seniority system, to prevent unfair cronyism from influencing upgrades and schedules, but equity and fairness should be the goal, not rewarding one group of pilots at the expense of another. Right now our reserves are extreme second-class pilots, treated like garbage compared to the line-holders. This needs to change.

Some examples of the disparity in treatment:
  • Line-holders know their final schedule by the 20th. Reserves have to wait 'til the 26th for a tentative schedule.
  • Line-holders know pretty much with certainty what days they will have off a month ahead. Reserves routinely have off days moved around at the last minute for company convenience (without the compensation a line-holder would get for this).
  • Line-holders work about 4-18 days per month. Reserves always must work 20 days per month, just about no exceptions (and for less pay!).
  • Line-holders are pay-protected when scheduling starts yanking them around. Reserves are never pay-protected (and watch the rest of their crew doing the exact same trip get much greater pay).
  • Line-holders go home at the end of their assignment. Reserves are ALWAYS told to wait around for free for another hour before begging for the privilege of being released.
  • Line-holders can pick up 200% trips on their multiple off days. Reserves are banned (by ALPA!) from picking up any premium trips on their much fewer off days.
  • Line-holders have a chance at getting weekends or even Fridays off. Reserves no longer can get a single Friday, Saturday, or Sunday off.

I'm sure the reserve guys can add more. These disparities are definitely worth expending negotiating capital on, as none of these differences should exist, regardless of the flexibility the company should need to utilize reserves efficiently.

Thank you, this sums up most of it.
 
I understand the importance and fairness of the seniority system, to prevent unfair cronyism from influencing upgrades and schedules, but equity and fairness should be the goal, not rewarding one group of pilots at the expense of another. Right now our reserves are extreme second-class pilots, treated like garbage compared to the line-holders. This needs to change.


Some examples of the disparity in treatment:
  • Line-holders know their final schedule by the 20th. Reserves have to wait 'til the 26th for a tentative schedule.
  • Line-holders know pretty much with certainty what days they will have off a month ahead. Reserves routinely have off days moved around at the last minute for company convenience (without the compensation a line-holder would get for this).
  • Line-holders work about 4-18 days per month. Reserves always must work 20 days per month, just about no exceptions (and for less pay!).
  • Line-holders are pay-protected when scheduling starts yanking them around. Reserves are never pay-protected (and watch the rest of their crew doing the exact same trip get much greater pay).
  • Line-holders go home at the end of their assignment. Reserves are ALWAYS told to wait around for free for another hour before begging for the privilege of being released.
  • Line-holders can pick up 200% trips on their multiple off days. Reserves are banned (by ALPA!) from picking up any premium trips on their much fewer off days.
  • Line-holders have a chance at getting weekends or even Fridays off. Reserves no longer can get a single Friday, Saturday, or Sunday off.
I'm sure the reserve guys can add more. These disparities are definitely worth expending negotiating capital on, as none of these differences should exist, regardless of the flexibility the company should need to utilize reserves efficiently.


Yea this sounds about right for reserves at all regionals, the only things at Mesaba/Pinnacle that we don't deal with is everyone gets the schedule the same time, everyone (including reserves if you can figure out how with the minimal days off) can now pick up 3 days of work at whatever the premium rate is going for at the time (min 150%) and most of us on reserve don't bother to beg to leave at the end of a trip, we just do, unless we have a message already waiting for us upon arrival.
 
I rarely call scheduling at the end of a trip...well, okay, I do call them, from my DRIVEWAY. Those schedulers always put you on hold because they don't have two brain cells to think with, they have to borrow one from another scheduler. I can hardly wait till this merger is complete with ExpressJet. Their contact states that if scheduling has nothing for them within 15 minutes of block-in, the reservist goes home. OBTW, make sure scheduling adjusts your duty-out time when they tell you to stand-by for an hour. It may only be a $1.65, but it will add up if all of us do it, and creates another headache for scheduling. Besides, "IT'S MY MONEY, AND I WANT IT NOW!" to quote a current commercial.
 
Some examples of the disparity in treatment:
  • Line-holders know their final schedule by the 20th. Reserves have to wait 'til the 26th for a tentative schedule.
  • Line-holders know pretty much with certainty what days they will have off a month ahead. Reserves routinely have off days moved around at the last minute for company convenience (without the compensation a line-holder would get for this).
  • Line-holders work about 4-18 days per month. Reserves always must work 20 days per month, just about no exceptions (and for less pay!).
  • Line-holders are pay-protected when scheduling starts yanking them around. Reserves are never pay-protected (and watch the rest of their crew doing the exact same trip get much greater pay).
  • Line-holders go home at the end of their assignment. Reserves are ALWAYS told to wait around for free for another hour before begging for the privilege of being released.
  • Line-holders can pick up 200% trips on their multiple off days. Reserves are banned (by ALPA!) from picking up any premium trips on their much fewer off days.
  • Line-holders have a chance at getting weekends or even Fridays off. Reserves no longer can get a single Friday, Saturday, or Sunday off.

I'm sure the reserve guys can add more. These disparities are definitely worth expending negotiating capital on, as none of these differences should exist, regardless of the flexibility the company should need to utilize reserves efficiently.

-Reserves have no ability to "maximize" vacation. You'll be lucky if you can move a "non-inviolate day" to cap either end of your vacation week.

-In a vacation month, because minimum days off required are calculated from days available, you're likely to have only a few days off over the month, other than vacation days. (makes #1 even harder)

-No weekend GDO's this month. Non-inviolate days aren't worth the paper the contract's written on. They WILL be moved. Only way to protect yourself is to set yourself up for 6 days on duty.

-5 and 6 day trips. Prohibited by the contract, you say? Nah, the caveat is "unless the leg(s) would be canceled. With no one available in the reserve list EVERY DAY, this protection goes right out the window.
 
[*]Line-holders can pick up 200% trips on their multiple off days. Reserves are banned (by ALPA!) from picking up any premium trips on their much fewer off days.

No, not by ALPA, but by YOUR very own reps maybe.
At XJT, Reserves most certainly can pick up 200% pay, and of course XJT is an ALPA carrier.
 
No, not by ALPA, but by YOUR very own reps maybe.
At XJT, Reserves most certainly can pick up 200% pay, and of course XJT is an ALPA carrier.
The ASA/ALPA reps are responsible for a great deal of the plight of ASA reserves...if not the majority of it. They always have, and continue to support two classes of pilots at ASA. The ASA reserve pilots are not represented.
 
The ASA/ALPA reps are responsible for a great deal of the plight of ASA reserves...if not the majority of it. They always have, and continue to support two classes of pilots at ASA. The ASA reserve pilots are not represented.

I'll go one further and just say that CM is the cause of many of the reserve QOL "issues". He still thinks he is in a fraternity and these reserve pledges need to drop and give him twenty.
 
Reserve Quality of Life Survey extended until July 8, 2011.
 

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