ASA Scheduling is calling

[Tomct]

Well this stuff is nothing. According to a guy in the training department, they are going to have numerous pilots "time out" for the year around mid November! It is going to get REAL INTERESTING around this Mo Fo!
Tell them to PI$$ OFF when they ask you to go the extra mile! Give us a GOOD contract and maybe I will think about it!

 

[73belair]

This post is great. I had them call me last night TELLING me that I had a trip "this evening" (this was on my voice mail) They must have been short as he!!

 

[arthompson]

I work in said department for another Airline, you guys need to understand that scheduling is itself understaffed in most carriers. Everyone at an airline has a job to do, but some people think that there jobs are more important than everyone elses.

 

[atrdriver]

I work in said department for another Airline, you guys need to understand that scheduling is itself understaffed in most carriers. Everyone at an airline has a job to do, but some people think that there jobs are more important than everyone elses.

No, you're wrong there, we don't thing that our job is more important than schedulings is. But it's not our problem that out management team is, and has been for the past 2 years, trying to run this airline understaffed. It's not out problem that our management team treats the pilots like cr@p and people are leaving in droves. And we don't like schedulers who use their personal cell phones and calling cards trying to trick us into answering the phone, or leaving us voice mail trying to intimidate us into calling them back. I got news for you, if you treat someone with respect, you will likely get that respect returned. If you treat people like cr@p, then that's what you can expect in return. It's just too bad that nobody in ASA's management reads these boards. They have 1800+ pilots out here who would do anything to make this a great place to work and fly, if only management would go that extra half step to treat us well. As it is all they have done is create a workplace where no one is willing to go out of their way to help by treating us with no respect, constantly violating our contract, and refusing to negotiate in good faith for out next one.

 

[KingKong2]

"Hold on, let me put down my beer and grab a pen.
OH, you wanted me to work TODAY?"

That should solve your problem. They can't say anything about you drinking on your days off, and they certainly can't make you fly.

This is how I normally how I talk to CREW SCHD:

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/pangloss/images/sickcall.mp3

 

[Palerider957]

No, you're wrong there, we don't thing that our job is more important than schedulings is. But it's not our problem that out management team is, and has been for the past 2 years, trying to run this airline understaffed. It's not out problem that our management team treats the pilots like cr@p and people are leaving in droves. And we don't like schedulers who use their personal cell phones and calling cards trying to trick us into answering the phone, or leaving us voice mail trying to intimidate us into calling them back. I got news for you, if you treat someone with respect, you will likely get that respect returned. If you treat people like cr@p, then that's what you can expect in return. It's just too bad that nobody in ASA's management reads these boards. They have 1800+ pilots out here who would do anything to make this a great place to work and fly, if only management would go that extra half step to treat us well. As it is all they have done is create a workplace where no one is willing to go out of their way to help by treating us with no respect, constantly violating our contract, and refusing to negotiate in good faith for out next one.

Well said. If this airline is driven into a strike, scheduling can take a lot of the credit for the anger of pilot group. We are tired of the scheduling shi.t lists (when you actually try to stand up for yourself and your crew), no adherence to seniority, no adherence to the contract, pushing crews to violate FAR's--and punishing them when they refuse or argue.

I can remember three crews showing up in Macon for the same ferry flight! This was a horrible waste of reserve crews time. Was anyone is CS punished? Probably not, they cover their mistakes with lies.

If pilots flew like our schedulers, schedule--there would be RJ's planted in the dirt from coast to coast.

They don't get ANY sympathy or cooperation from me.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

No, you're wrong there, we don't thing that our job is more important than schedulings is. But it's not our problem that out management team is, and has been for the past 2 years, trying to run this airline understaffed. It's not out problem that our management team treats the pilots like cr@p and people are leaving in droves. And we don't like schedulers who use their personal cell phones and calling cards trying to trick us into answering the phone, or leaving us voice mail trying to intimidate us into calling them back. I got news for you, if you treat someone with respect, you will likely get that respect returned. If you treat people like cr@p, then that's what you can expect in return. It's just too bad that nobody in ASA's management reads these boards. They have 1800+ pilots out here who would do anything to make this a great place to work and fly, if only management would go that extra half step to treat us well. As it is all they have done is create a workplace where no one is willing to go out of their way to help by treating us with no respect, constantly violating our contract, and refusing to negotiate in good faith for out next one.

Well said.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

Well said. If this airline is driven into a strike, scheduling can take a lot of the credit for the anger of pilot group. We are tired of the scheduling shi.t lists (when you actually try to stand up for yourself and your crew), no adherence to seniority, no adherence to the contract, pushing crews to violate FAR's--and punishing them when they refuse or argue.

I can remember three crews showing up in Macon for the same ferry flight! This was a horrible waste of reserve crews time. Was anyone is CS punished? Probably not, they cover their mistakes with lies.

If pilots flew like our schedulers, schedule--there would be RJ's planted in the dirt from coast to coast.

They don't get ANY sympathy or cooperation from me.

Well said again.

 

[~~~^~~~]

"(BL said ASA is NOT a career airline--read: you're not welcome here for very long)"

Just curious, when did he say this?

S.B. has been saying the same thing. I can look and tell you when my last Captain Leadership class was and obtain the schedule to give you an exact time if you need to know when I heard it.

He begins by explaining the economic argument, that new airplanes and fresh crews have fewer breakdowns (illnesses, vacation time) and as pilots gain seniority they get more pay and higher expectations. The secret to keeping costs low is to grow (like Chautauqua). If there is not any real growth, then attrition is needed to keep new crews coming through the door with their lower pay and expectations.

Their model of an ideal regional airline would have a 5.5 year pay scale. After 5.5 years he believes employees cost more than they are worth to the Company. ( I could be off on the pay scale by 6 months either way, it has been a while since I heard the presentation ).

At any rate, this attitude permeates down everyone "in the know" at the airline, all the politically connected movers and shakers hate pilots because it is the cool thing to do if you are in management. Pilots cause all the problems.... ALPA causes all the problems..... The irony is that pilots really go the extra mile here to keep the operation going (it is the only way the pilot will ever get home to see their family)

This is not to say there are not some really nice people at ASA. The Chief Pilots, their Secretaries, Maintenance professionals and the Training Department are sort of immune from the anti pilot rhetoric. However, anyone with any ambition in the General Offices knows the cool thing to do and they are very cool if they use their power to drive away a pilot, or just ruin their life.

I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say it is "group think." Otherwise nice folks ( like Germans ) can do some pretty horrible things when peer pressure creates and environment where abusiveness is encouraged. The comment I hear most on the crew bus is that ASA is always depserate to hire people, so why do they try to fire everyone they have hired?

ASA is strange because they have an unofficial war are those employees that do the actual work - whether it be gate agents, rampers, flight attendants, or pilots. If you work at the airport, in the actual production process - you aint $hit.

That fact, more than pay or any other factor, is why I believe the ASA pilot groups will shut this place down when given the opportunity. No pilot wants to come to work thinking it is "us" versus "them," but when your boss tells you he wants you to leave the Company and encourages the other employees to pick on you, it results in that sort of attitude. However, the pilots hold the trigger to the nuclear option and if this Company makes them miserable enough, the pilots will vote to "shut 'er down."

~~~^~~~

 

[Midnight Mike]

There has always been a love/hate relationship between Crew Scheduling & Pilots, always have, always will.

Both sides are wrong, both sides are right.

I am sure pilots do not like to tell a scheduler no that they can not cover a trip on their days off, just as much as crew schedulers do not like to call pilots and beg them to fly a trip.

The pilot is trying to protect his quality of life, the scheduler is trying to protect his job.

 

[~~~^~~~]

.......the only time "Good goes around" is when a Mad Dog doesn't clear the runway in time.

Whoo Hoo! Good Stuff!

 

[~~~^~~~]

There has always been a love/hate relationship between Crew Scheduling & Pilots, always have, always will.

Both sides are wrong, both sides are right.

I am sure pilots do not like to tell a scheduler no that they can not cover a trip on their days off, just as much as crew schedulers do not like to call pilots and beg them to fly a trip.

The pilot is trying to protect his quality of life, the scheduler is trying to protect his job.

Oh crap. Pilots LOVE to tell scheduling they can not do a trip on their day off. Schedulers have laughed as I was extended for S I X days after dutying in for a 2 hour round trip. Of course I was released the very minute I got near 75 hours. You call it "quality of life," I call it washing your only pair of underwear in the sink for a week while trying to find a laundromat open at 3 in the morning on a reduced rest overnight. You call it "quality of life" how about just trying to stay alive after 16 hour days with 9 hours reduced rest (with about 5 hours to sleep).

A friend of mine was going to see his dying mother and ASA crew scheduling threatened him and kept junior manning him. His mother died, he got his job back.

I am convinced, as is my friend, that there is a special place in hell for people who abuse other people like that. Do they call in crew schedulers to work when their mother is dying? Do Crew Schedulers work 16 on, 8 off? Do Crew Schedulers' cars stay in the Company parking lot 340 hours a month? I did not think so. My time off is my time off.

~~~^~~~

 

[Palerider957]

Oh crap. Pilots LOVE to tell scheduling they can not do a trip on their day off. Schedulers have laughed as I was extended for S I X days after dutying in for a 2 hour round trip. Of course I was released the very minute I got near 75 hours. You call it "quality of life," I call it washing your only pair of underwear in the sink for a week while trying to find a laundromat open at 3 in the morning on a reduced rest overnight. You call it "quality of life" how about just trying to stay alive after 16 hour days with 9 hours reduced rest (with about 5 hours to sleep).

A friend of mine was going to see his dying mother and ASA crew scheduling threatened him and kept junior manning him. His mother died, he got his job back.

I am convinced, as is my friend, that there is a special place in hell for people who abuse other people like that. Do they call in crew schedulers to work when their mother is dying? Do Crew Schedulers work 16 on, 8 off? Do Crew Schedulers' cars stay in the Company parking lot 340 hours a month? I did not think so. My time off is my time off.

~~~^~~~

You hit it on the head, fins. The schedulers seem so envious of pilots, and so eager to harm and harass them.

There are honorable ways to do difficult jobs, our schedulers and management do not act with honor.