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If Your Company Opens A New Base, How Does it Work?

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VerticalSnap

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Posts
18
Okay... so here at SkyWest we don't really have any set procedures for opening up a new base and vacancies. I haven’t really read through our policy manual but it’s kind of pointless because this is what the company is currently doing:

1) They announce 2 new bases: IAH & MSP. They say they need 100 FOs & Captains in IAH and 70 FO’s & Captains in MSP. People put bids in for the new base. If awarded a new base, the company will pay moving expenses for pilots physically moving to the new base. This is based on an initial $1000 and then a additional funds based on the mileage from you old base to your new base. Originally junior crewmembers at other bases were worried about getting forced out of base and sent to IAH/MSP.

2) If the company was to force out and displace crewmembers then per our policy they will pay them (in addition to moving expenses for pilots actually move) a relocation incentive of approx 75 hrs pay.

3) The company then sends out another email indicating that they REALLY don’t want to displace pilots and will try and slowly staff the base as they see fit. It will be a gradual staffing by new hires, transitions and voluntary transfers. The company NEVER indicates the actual slots they are going to award in the new base. They simply tell everyone to put in your bid if you want it and if your junior to bid your current base followed by your preference of MSP/IAH if you happen to be displaced.

4) The company then awards approximately 1/3 of the original number of SLOTS they said they were going to award. People who placed a bid have the option to decline but then are base locked for 6 months-a year (I forget exactly how long).

5) The company skips over MORE SENIOR Brasilia pilots who want to transition or upgrade to MSP/IAH and simply awards currently qualified CRJ pilots to the new bases.

6) It’s also my understanding that we are currently hiring United furloughs (per our jets for jobs agreement from years ago) and sending them directly to the jet (when in fact more senior crewmembers want to transition and/or upgrade and even DOWNGRADE into the jet to the new bases. The reason this is happening is because the company is saying that the agreement with United pilots jet’s for jobs agreement was to give a certain % of them jet positions.

How would this work at a ALPA/Teamsters Union carrier? I know Republic guys have been having similar issues of getting skipped over and bypassed due to the company’s interpretation of the definition of VANCENCY. How did this work at ASA with the opening of Dulles? Does the company put out a VANCENCY bid for a new base for lets say 50 crews and then only award 30 because last minute something changed?

Thanks for any info regarding this.
 
Okay... so here at SkyWest we don't really have any set procedures for opening up a new base and vacancies. I haven’t really read through our policy manual but it’s kind of pointless because this is what the company is currently doing:

1) They announce 2 new bases: IAH & MSP. They say they need 100 FOs & Captains in IAH and 70 FO’s & Captains in MSP. People put bids in for the new base. If awarded a new base, the company will pay moving expenses for pilots physically moving to the new base. This is based on an initial $1000 and then a additional funds based on the mileage from you old base to your new base. Originally junior crewmembers at other bases were worried about getting forced out of base and sent to IAH/MSP.

2) If the company was to force out and displace crewmembers then per our policy they will pay them (in addition to moving expenses for pilots actually move) a relocation incentive of approx 75 hrs pay.

3) The company then sends out another email indicating that they REALLY don’t want to displace pilots and will try and slowly staff the base as they see fit. It will be a gradual staffing by new hires, transitions and voluntary transfers. The company NEVER indicates the actual slots they are going to award in the new base. They simply tell everyone to put in your bid if you want it and if your junior to bid your current base followed by your preference of MSP/IAH if you happen to be displaced.

4) The company then awards approximately 1/3 of the original number of SLOTS they said they were going to award. People who placed a bid have the option to decline but then are base locked for 6 months-a year (I forget exactly how long).

5) The company skips over MORE SENIOR Brasilia pilots who want to transition or upgrade to MSP/IAH and simply awards currently qualified CRJ pilots to the new bases.

6) It’s also my understanding that we are currently hiring United furloughs (per our jets for jobs agreement from years ago) and sending them directly to the jet (when in fact more senior crewmembers want to transition and/or upgrade and even DOWNGRADE into the jet to the new bases. The reason this is happening is because the company is saying that the agreement with United pilots jet’s for jobs agreement was to give a certain % of them jet positions.

How would this work at a ALPA/Teamsters Union carrier? I know Republic guys have been having similar issues of getting skipped over and bypassed due to the company’s interpretation of the definition of VANCENCY. How did this work at ASA with the opening of Dulles? Does the company put out a VANCENCY bid for a new base for lets say 50 crews and then only award 30 because last minute something changed?

Thanks for any info regarding this.

WTF is vancency?
 
Sounds kinda like things here at RAH. They " encourage" people to change their standing bids for some phantom vacancies. When the new base opens up they will displace whomever they want, and the poor folks who "bid" for the spots are now screwed out of any and all moving expenses. I've seen a lot of shady displacements here, so my view might be a little jaded.
 
Its a calculated move by the company. I bet all the UA furloughs are going to IAH, that way if there is a territory fight with CA they can say, hey its your fellow ALPA members on the UA seniority list, fight among yourselves.

It would be interesting if the furloughs refused IAH.
 
Well the UAL Furloughee's that came over between 2003-2005 did not all go to the jet. The agreement states that they will be offered jobs and second year RJ pay with UAL paying the difference. It says nothing that they will go to the RJ skipping seniority!

Chairman
 
You guys get more money where this is concerned, but ASA ALPA has a strict policy on new vacancies/displacements.
 
We are currently in the process of opening a new ERJ base in MIA for Eagle. Nov 13 the company issued a vacancy bid with openings for 72 CAs and FOs in MIA. Everyone who wants one of those positions puts in a bid. The vacancy bid closes on Nov 28, and the results should be posted a day or two later. Our contract requires at least 60 days notice for opening a base, so the earliest it would open is Feb 1 2011. The company doesnt pay moving expenses if pilots voluntarily bid for a position. If pilots are ever displaced from one base to another (we get to chose what base we go to when displaced) then the company will pay moving expenses.

If the company doesnt get enough people to bid for the MIA FO slots then they will fill it with newhires. We are hiring almost 50/mo so that shouldnt be an issue.

Overall the process works pretty smoothly and no big complaints.
 
Could the company simply only award HALF of the projected 72 at Eagle at their discretion? Like if you put your bid in and it looks like you'll be number 30 (not too bad % seniority) but then the company only awards 35 your % seniority would suck. Is that allowed? Or are they required to award the number of vacancy slots that they originally put out?
 
Could the company simply only award HALF of the projected 72 at Eagle at their discretion? Like if you put your bid in and it looks like you'll be number 30 (not too bad % seniority) but then the company only awards 35 your % seniority would suck. Is that allowed? Or are they required to award the number of vacancy slots that they originally put out?

Nope, they have to award all the slots.
 
Whenever a new base opens at Pinnacle people just bid into it. JFK CA had a lot of upgrades, and the FO side has a lot of new hires. Voluntarily switching domiciles entitles you to free hotel and per diem for roughly a month, depending how lucky and skillful you are with your "moving days."
 

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