Colgan Fatigue Policy

[relief tube]

***I do not work for Colgan***
Saw this on another forum. Though it would be worth posting here given the recent scrutiny on regionals, especially Colgan, and crew rest (or lack thereof).

Beginning immediately, fatigue calls will not be accepted:

1. If the crewmember has had a period of at least 12 hours rest prior to the start of the duty day.*
2. If the crewmember is returning from days off.
3. For future or downline flights. That is, a crewmember cannot declare “I’m going to be fatigued on my next flight”, or “I’m calling in fatigue for tomorrow”.

CNN would love to get their hands on this. what a joke and what a ********************ty company to work for....period.

 

[say again]

3 pages of pilots saying that someone should send this to the media, so, has anyone actually done it???

 

[JAFI]

Found on the net:


The Washington Post
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Washington, DC 20071

Phone
202.334.6000 | 800.627.1150
(These numbers can be used to reach a Washington Post reporter or staff member)

[email protected]




Washington FSDO
Address:
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Phone: (703) 230-7664 Fax: (703) 230-7720

 

[CA1900]

It's in the Buffalo News (how appropriate):

http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/910797.html

 

[WayBack]

If you call in fatigued for that I would say your an idiot. That is a family emergency, not a fatigue call and should be treated accordingly. Its those kind of fatigue calls that kill it for everybody else. Call in with what was going on, not something else.

Obviously you're not an ALPA rep, because I have had two ALPA reps tell me to call in fatigued for that exact reason.
Uh oh, I guess YOU'RE the idiot!

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/01/03/Colgan-Air-toughens-fatigue-policy/UPI-40351262541070/

 

[no1pilot2000]

I have spoken to different pilots, ranging from CFI's, airline pilots, and military pilots. They all told me the same thing during my training. If you are sick or have the flu before your scheduled to fly, call the organization you work for before you report for flight duty and simply say you are sick. The same goes for emergencys. What constitutes being tired vs. being fatigued?

 

[rjacobs]

Obviously you're not an ALPA rep, because I have had two ALPA reps tell me to call in fatigued for that exact reason.
Uh oh, I guess YOU'RE the idiot!

First off, I am not going to discuss my status as an ALPA rep.

They were wrong, that is simply not a fatigue call. That is a family emergency. The reason you were fatigued was because you had a family emergency. So the call should have been "I have a family emergency, I wont be making it in". A fatigue call is the wrong call and I dont see how you can see that it should be a fatigue call. I just cant see a meeting with the CPO going well when they ask why you were fatigued and you say "I had a family emergency" and they ask, "well why didnt you call in and say that, instead you lied". Ya see my point in why I think its a bad idea to call in fatigued for what you called in for?

I am sorry that your ALPA reps told you to do that, but, IMO they were wrong. But if they were willing to back you on it what the ******************** do I care, im not your ALPA rep. ALPA reps tell guys wrong info all the time, it sucks, but it happens.

I have never ever had an ALPA rep tell me to call in fatigued, I dont believe they are supposed to do that. They can tell you things like "well, your the only one who knows how you feel" and "dont fly fatigued", but I am pretty sure they will not tell you to call in fatigued because they are not somebody who is trained to determine if you are fatigued or not.

 

[DoinTime]

First off, I am not going to discuss my status as an ALPA rep.

They were wrong, that is simply not a fatigue call. That is a family emergency. The reason you were fatigued was because you had a family emergency. So the call should have been "I have a family emergency, I wont be making it in". A fatigue call is the wrong call and I dont see how you can see that it should be a fatigue call. I just cant see a meeting with the CPO going well when they ask why you were fatigued and you say "I had a family emergency" and they ask, "well why didnt you call in and say that, instead you lied". Ya see my point in why I think its a bad idea to call in fatigued for what you called in for?

I am sorry that your ALPA reps told you to do that, but, IMO they were wrong. But if they were willing to back you on it what the ******************** do I care, im not your ALPA rep. ALPA reps tell guys wrong info all the time, it sucks, but it happens.

I have never ever had an ALPA rep tell me to call in fatigued, I dont believe they are supposed to do that. They can tell you things like "well, your the only one who knows how you feel" and "dont fly fatigued", but I am pretty sure they will not tell you to call in fatigued because they are not somebody who is trained to determine if you are fatigued or not.

Every airline and management group is going to want this situation handled differently. Crew schedulers generally don't understand "family emergency". You've got to be more basic with them. Fatigue, sick, or unfit are all fine initial claims to get scheduling off your back. Follow up with a visit to your base management when time permits and work it out from there.

 

[rjacobs]

Every airline and management group is going to want this situation handled differently. Crew schedulers generally don't understand "family emergency". You've got to be more basic with them. Fatigue, sick, or unfit are all fine initial claims to get scheduling off your back. Follow up with a visit to your base management when time permits and work it out from there.

If that is the call that it takes to get out of going on your trip and then get it sorted later I can get on board with that, but to claim that what this person called in fatigued for was an actual fatigue event is crap IMO.

 

[Regul8r]

If you call in fatigued for that I would say your an idiot. That is a family emergency, not a fatigue call and should be treated accordingly. Its those kind of fatigue calls that kill it for everybody else. Call in with what was going on, not something else.

Great...the kid didn't need to go to the hospital...just up at 2 in the morning from a general illness. Happy now? I just wrapped up 2 weeks of vacation and have to report in the AM for a 5 day trip.

FATIGUED!

 

[rjacobs]

Great...the kid didn't need to go to the hospital...just up at 2 in the morning from a general illness. Happy now? I just wrapped up 2 weeks of vacation and have to report in the AM for a 5 day trip.

FATIGUED!

I understand a sick kid, or any other family event, is something that you HAVE to deal with and I am not advocating against that. What I am saying is to not use a fatigue call in that matter.

Call in sick or family emergency or what ever your company has outlined to deal with that situation(and if they dont have something in place for that situation, get the union to get something put in place), but fatigue'd is not the right call. Fatigue calls like that are exactly why Colgan has put out this policy. ******************** fatigue calls like you and the other guy are claiming will only hurt the true nature of the fatigue call and then the company(and even the union in some cases) will then start to question the validity of every fatigue call.

I know at XJT if you have a family emergency they want you to call in with that and then call the CPO. I dont think I have ever heard of a case where the CPO has not taken care of it. Your airline may be different, but I just dont like using a fatigue call to cover up a family emergency.

 

[DiscoDuck]

Meanwhile, Morgan wrote: "Any further blatant abuse of the fatigue option will be addressed as a disciplinary action, and fatigue resulting from an improper use of rest periods or personal time off duty will be treated as missed trips," meaning the crew member won't be paid


What the he** is "improper use of....personal time off duty"? I know the usual responses, but this seem to be very intrusive. I guess you just turn your entire life over to the company................

 

[COOPERVANE]

What the he** is "improper use of....personal time off duty"? I know the usual responses, but this seem to be very intrusive. I guess you just turn your entire life over to the company................

I think he means if you party too hard on new years eve and aren't rested for your trip the next day at 7:00AM don't call in fatigued. Call in stupid.

 

[suupah]

MEC Addresses Issues Regarding Revised Fatigue Policy



Fellow Pilots,



We have received many calls and emails from pilots over the past few days and, like you, we are disappointed that the company decided to change the fatigue policy. MEC Chair Mark Segaloff and Central Air Safety Committee Chair Ken Nagel spoke with management prior to the release of the new policy and raised a number of objections, some of which were addressed by the company in the new policy. That said, we believe the new policy applies a blunt instrument to a very nuanced problem, and your MEC will continue to raise our strong objections to the revised policy as we work with management in the formation of the Fatigue Review Board.



Simply put, a just safety culture seeks to educate, not threaten. Your MEC believes that the new policy promotes the latter at the expense of the former. This FastRead addresses our position on this issue and seeks to educate the pilot group on proper use of the fatigue policy.



To date, the company has lived up to its word and NO ONE has been disciplined for a fatigue call. Going forward, NO ONE will be disciplined for a valid fatigue call. Even with this new policy in place, if there are underlying circumstances that aren’t apparent, it is imperative you let Crew Scheduling know immediately. For example: on layovers of more than 12 hours, if the fire alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m., and wakes you up, or if you are having trouble sleeping because of noise, do not allow the policy to deter you from calling in fatigued. Contact Scheduling and your chief pilot and explain the situation. If they give you an inadequate response, call your ALPA representative.



Unfortunately, there has been questionable use of the fatigue policy by a few pilots which has caused a knee-jerk reaction by management. Questionable use of this policy has and will only hurt your fellow pilots. Below are some specific examples provided to us in our discussion with management prior to the introduction of the new policy. (NOTE: while some of these examples are from flight attendants, this behavior should not be condoned by any Colgan employee):



§ A crew member posted on his/her Facebook account that he/she planned to call in fatigued upon arrival in base for the purpose of getting home early.



§ A crew member called in fatigued and then proceeded to remain in the crewroom for three hours AFTER the call, socializing with friends instead of seeking rest.



§ A crew member who was trying to commute home called Scheduling and asked to be released early from ready reserve. Scheduling denied the request and then the crew member called in fatigued approximately five minutes later, claiming he/she fell asleep in the terminal. (If you are fatigued, USE the fatigue policy. Do not attempt to seek release from duty first.)



§ A crew member had four days off, and after the first round-trip on day one of the pairing, the crew member called in fatigued. Upon looking at the pass travel history, it showed that the crew member was in Cancun for three days and commuted in from Cancun to start the pairing. (It is the company’s responsibility to provide a sufficient rest period; it is our job to properly utilize the rest period. Also, no matter where the commute is from, as professionals we are expected to show up fit to fly and ready for duty.)



§ A crew member called in fatigued for an assignment slated to begin the next day. Upon further investigation of the call, it was determined that a three-hour round trip drive the crew member had to make was a factor in calling in fatigued. (Even though this crew member was tired from making this drive, it is our responsibility to show up for work well rested and to help mitigate outside factors such as commutes. Also, utilizing the policy so far in advance was inappropriate.)



§ Numerous crew members have told Crew Scheduling that if extended, he/she is going to call in fatigued. (You should NEVER threaten to call in fatigued. If you are fatigued, just say you are fatigued. It is the company’s responsibility to prevent fatiguing scheduling practices, not ours as line pilots.)



The above illustrates a misunderstanding of the policy in some cases, and blatant abuse in other instances. The company unilaterally decided a change of policy was needed due to this. However, keep in mind that it is an interim policy, and we will have the opportunity to sit down together and take an in-depth look at revamping it. An effective fatigue policy accounts for the cumulative effects of fatigue and allows for underlying factors to be analyzed.



With all that said, the bottom line is if you are fatigued due to operational disruptions, junior manning, lack of adequate rest, etc., CALL IN FATIGUED! At the same time, do not abuse this policy that is in place to ensure SAFETY. It is not intended to make sure you can catch your commute home or provide an alternative to the proper use of your rest period.



Moreover, don’t confuse a fatigue call with a sick call. We know many of our pilots have young kids at home. If the child gets sick in the middle of the night, causing one stress, lack of sleep, and an inability to properly rest before showing up to work, in following with the FAA IMSAFE Checklist, a sick call would be more appropriate. As a reminder, the IMSAFE Checklist is:





I


ILLNESS


Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness?





M


MEDICATION


Have I been taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs?





S


STRESS


Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Worried about financial matters, health problems or family discord?





A


ALCOHOL


Have I been drinking within the last eight* hours? Within 24 hours?





F


FATIGUE


Am I tired and not adequately rested?





E


EATING


Am I adequately nourished?






*Colgan Air policy requires 12 hours prior to duty



We all have a professional responsibility to show up to work, well rested and ready to fly. Once at work, if there is a fatigue-inducing situation, do not hesitate to call in fatigued. Reference the company FOPPM as well for additional guidance on fatigue and recognizing fatigue symptoms.



The Colgan management team and your CJC MEC have continued to forge our working relationship with the goals of improved working conditions for our pilots and better productivity for the company, as well as improved crew usage and standardized practices in scheduling. Our ongoing scheduling issues are continuously being worked through the company’s Scheduling Department and our ALPA Scheduling Committee. We already have agreed to better line construction parameters that address fatigue; we still need to work on improving our day-to-day scheduling issues. Furthermore, our reserve pilot rules will go through a much-needed and long-overdue overhaul in the upcoming weeks which will provide for more standardization.