HOW does the Netejts base system save them money

[sweptwingz]

NJA wanted to streamline ops by utilizing 5 cities for crew changes/maint, so why aren't we using them for that purpose?

Because, the company's REAL goals were to sew discord in the pilot group for the next contract, thus getting us to forfit any large pay raises in the future in exchange for "fly from home basing" for ALL crews.

 

[Hogprint]

Here is my question...what has changed?

My former Gateway city had a ton of Ultra crews. The company was good about pairing two of us up from that GW and we would go forth and do productive things for seven days. They did such a good job at this that I was paired up with same GW guys/gals over 90% of the time. Pretty efficient in my book.

HBA has kicked in now for seven months or so and I've only flown with two people from the same region!? I'm still only a 30min flight from the former gateway, as are most of the other folks that were formerly gatewayed there. What has changed? Why would they take an efficient system where they had plenty of crews and now shotgun me all over the country on day one? I've even sat standby (at home) on day one several times now just to wait on a crewmember when I know there are plenty 30 mins away.

It's stuff like this that does worry me about this place!

 

[Guitar Guy]

Because, the company's REAL goals were to sew discord in the pilot group for the next contract, thus getting us to forfit any large pay raises in the future in exchange for "fly from home basing" for ALL crews.

I hope the pilot group as a whole pledges to not let HBA become an economic issue next time around. The company has already demonstrated that HBA isn't a cost issue for them (see NJI) and there are plenty of examples of pilots already in domiciles not flying with others from that domicile.

 

[swampfan]

I know it's different for everyone, but I will not take less money for HBA's. I am PBI domiciled right now. I do not want to live there, but I would rather have a larger increase in pay and a commute than an HBA and little/no pay raise. If the company offers higher pay and HBA status quo or lower pay and HBA for all, I'll take the money. Then again, I have changed my mind once or twice:nuts:

 

[WrknStff]

The problem is that by the time the next contract comes around, if hiring goes as they keep saying, a significant portion of the seniority list will be folks hired after this contract was signed (conceivably, they could even make up a numerical majority if turnover and hiring is as high as some predict). In other words annoyed people still stuck in the domiciles. I'm sure a lot of those folks will expect the domicile policy to be changed and that makes it a negotiating point (ie wedge) for the company to use against the pilot group. That's why you won't see any LOA or changes before the next contract comes up regardless of whether it will save the company money or not.

 

[NJA Capt]

The problem is that by the time the next contract comes around, if hiring goes as they keep saying, a significant portion of the seniority list will be folks hired after this contract was signed (conceivably, they could even make up a numerical majority if turnover and hiring is as high as some predict). In other words annoyed people still stuck in the domiciles.

In order for newhires to become a majority the company would have to hire over 450 pilots/yr for 5 straight years, with (0) attrition. The company has never accomplished a hire rate that high, even in the boom years when airplanes were delivered every 6 days. The highest attrition has historically been with pilots in their first two years. Although it is a significant issue I don't believe HBA pilots will be outnumbered by newhires in time for the next round of negotiations.

 

[hopalong]

You all bring up some great points. I understand that NJA may be using the hba issue as a bargaining chip vs. raises in the next negotiation. However, do
you thing if we drafted a letter, citing specific examples of how NJA is losing
money, they would change their mind? I am new to NJA and start 7/10 and want this to be my final job. I am sure all of us want NJA to thrive and be successful. I wonder if we all wrote down all of the examples of how much money NJA is losing because of this inefficiency and presented this to them,
do you think they would change their mind? We can let them know that we want our jobs for the long term and we want NJA to be profitable and succeed. We are not in it to just get our way but to help NJA save money and prevent even more loss due to employee turnover. What are your thoughts?

 

[swampfan]

We have an official form to submit for examples of waste. Ideally, these things would be acted upon. I don't know if they are.

 

[d91papa]

Considering the inefficiencies as reported through-out the operation, I'm not too confident about a very long career with NJA. Fuel is only going to increase in price causing pressure on the entire consumer driven economy..with inflation and interest rates rising, this could all be over before you can say V1 Rotate. Any business model that is inefficient in this scenario cannot survive. But hey, I probably read too much liberal media!

 

[RNObased]

To answer the origanial question as to how this saves NJA money.... The answer is it doens't. They may think it does, but it doesn't. Doesn't matter where you are in the country, Montana or LAX, scheduling will airline you to the other side of the country.

So the answer is until someone gets scheduling under control and they are responsible for their dumb moves, the base idea won't work.

Now as for them using this as a chip for negotations for the next contract, well that is a long way off and they aren't that smart.