Latest ALPA message at ASA

[OCP]

See the part about how the reserves can make their lives better and enjoy more time at home if we just read the rules better? So they are saying we don't understand the bucket list, therefor we are getting used more.... What bucket list!

 

[LazyLightnin']

Someone was a smartass when they wrote that section of the email.

 

[sweptback]

I would say that anybody who has been on reserve for going on 4 years now knows the rules pretty damn well.

 

[sayrejm]

I called the scheduling hotline with an issue of scheduling putting me on a 2145 flight when I am a 4am to 7pm reserve when there was another guy who was a 9am to midnight on the list. I say that section 13 says they should skip me for him since it is in his window despite me being Call Me First. I am CMF, yes, but not if it is waaaay outside my preferred window. Then you can consider me Don't Call At ALL!! Anyway, they kept me on the flight AND still kept me going on call at 4am. Have no fear though, they gave me 8 hours of "rest" in between my 8 hours of On Call at 4am and my 10pm flight. Of course I slept the whole time.... yea right.

Oh and as a result of my call to the hotline, I was told "hmmmm interesting, never thought of that situation" and I asked for a follow up call to get an answer to my question on the intent of the wording of that part of the contract and wether scheduling should be able to skip me for the other guy or at least not have me going on call at 4am and having a 10pm flight in the same day. He took my number and said he'd get back to me but I haven't heard back from him yet.

 

[Redan]

The Scheduling Hotline is really quite a valuable asset isn't it?

 

[Stifler's Mom]

The Scheduling Hotline is really quite a valuable asset isn't it?

It really is. The time I used it, I left all the pertinent information that it asked for, and when they called me back....oh wait, they never called me back. Disregard.

 

[the palm]

Yeah, reading that email got under my skin as well. And I have more skin than most people.

 

[LazyLightnin']

So who wrote it? NT?

 

[79%N1]

Put me down for a never called me back......my dues hard at work for me!

 

[johnpeace]

Put me down for a never called me back......my dues hard at work for me!

Hey, those guys are VOLUNTEERS man...they do all this stuff in their time off. You should just be glad there's a number to call at all!

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Hey, those guys are VOLUNTEERS man...they do all this stuff in their time off. You should just be glad there's a number to call at all!

Maybe we should ditch the phone number? If your message is not going to be returned, then why bother paying for the phone and plan?

As far as them being volunteers, I love this response. "They're volunteers, so give them a break." Whether you are a volunteer or a paid employee, if you say you are going to do a job, then do it...plain and simple. If it is something that you no longer care to do, or don't have the time, or whatever the reason then let somebody else do it. Don't give us some false hope by having a "Scheduling Hotline" to call if our messages are going to be ignored and not returned.

 

[79%N1]

Hey, those guys are VOLUNTEERS man...they do all this stuff in their time off. You should just be glad there's a number to call at all!

I hope this was tongue in cheek! If not, I second the above posters response. If people take up a position, follow through, or kindly ask for someone else to take over. Either that, or get rid of the number.

 

[NotTooBad]

I have received a call back 100% of the time that I requested one. He didn't always give me the answer I wanted but I can't say he doesn't call me back or work hard at what he does.

 

[Jackie Moon]

+1 on not being called back.

 

[JumpersAway]

From what I understand, the new scheduling hotline/scheduling guru is one of our furloughed pilots that used to work in crew scheduling. He was pulled back on line, and probably just recently finished training. He may still be in training, and just getting caught up with that. However, once he gets situated, it will be nice to have a former crew scheduler in the seat to help us. He's going to know all the "tricks of the trade", that scheduling is pulling, along with their "dirty secrets".

 

[crj567]

Hey, those guys are VOLUNTEERS man...they do all this stuff in their time off. You should just be glad there's a number to call at all!

Volunteer or not, that thing was pretty crappy. And let's keep in mind-not everyone who has ever been involved in union work was there for the right reasons.

Someone over there should have a little chat with the author-and whoever is in charge of communications should definitely have caught that before it went out.
We get enough FU from mgmt. without having to hear it from the union as well.

 

[OCP]

From what I understand, the new scheduling hotline/scheduling guru is one of our furloughed pilots that used to work in crew scheduling. He was pulled back on line, and probably just recently finished training. He may still be in training, and just getting caught up with that. However, once he gets situated, it will be nice to have a former crew scheduler in the seat to help us. He's going to know all the "tricks of the trade", that scheduling is pulling, along with their "dirty secrets".

All of that in not true. Brian is a senior FO who has been here a while. He is not an ALPA guy, but is a volunteer who tries to help where he can. I don't know if he is leaving that position and then the above might be true, but I called him last night and as of then Brian was still doing it.

 

[73belair]

I couldn't help but replying to this crap in the news letter. I included 3 screen shots of the "bucket" list that we aren't reading right. Below is what I wrote.


As one who has been on reserve for 3 years now, I have no choice but to find the segment in the last news letter as completely insulting to everyone on reserve right now. Have any of you taken the time to look at the bucket list? There is no bucket list. It is completely used up EVERY DAY. I offer two examples for the past few days and one of tomorrow which will look like the others in a few hours. And these are not abnormal. Rather than telling us on reserve how we maybe are not checking up on the rules on how it works, why is the union not working on a solution? Everyday I feel a major lack of union representation for the reserves who have ZERO life and are constantly being scheduled to the max and rescheduled even further with moving off days.
Now I know you and you are a good guy. I'm not blaming you for the situation, but the article (whoever wrote it) was incredibly insulting to the people who are being abused everyday at this company.

In Solidarity,

 

[Tom_Bodett]

From what I understand, the new scheduling hotline/scheduling guru is one of our furloughed pilots that used to work in crew scheduling. He was pulled back on line, and probably just recently finished training. He may still be in training, and just getting caught up with that. However, once he gets situated, it will be nice to have a former crew scheduler in the seat to help us. He's going to know all the "tricks of the trade", that scheduling is pulling, along with their "dirty secrets".

That is actually true....I spoke with him a few days ago.

 

[Av8trix616]

More than one guy mans the hotline, as I understand it. The former furlough guy is *one* of them.

 

[southern cross 7]

Some are paid 6hrs flight pay a day. How is that volunteerism? Kind of like a tv religious leader flying around in a Lear Jet while Grandma hands over the social security check to the donation plate.

 

[701EV]

Some are paid 6hrs flight pay a day. How is that volunteerism? Kind of like a tv religious leader flying around in a Lear Jet while Grandma hands over the social security check to the donation plate.

Southern, who told you that? I need a name.

 

[Redan]

I couldn't help but replying to this crap in the news letter. I included 3 screen shots of the "bucket" list that we aren't reading right. Below is what I wrote.


As one who has been on reserve for 3 years now, I have no choice but to find the segment in the last news letter as completely insulting to everyone on reserve right now. Have any of you taken the time to look at the bucket list? There is no bucket list. It is completely used up EVERY DAY. I offer two examples for the past few days and one of tomorrow which will look like the others in a few hours. And these are not abnormal. Rather than telling us on reserve how we maybe are not checking up on the rules on how it works, why is the union not working on a solution? Everyday I feel a major lack of union representation for the reserves who have ZERO life and are constantly being scheduled to the max and rescheduled even further with moving off days.
Now I know you and you are a good guy. I'm not blaming you for the situation, but the article (whoever wrote it) was incredibly insulting to the people who are being abused everyday at this company.

In Solidarity,

It's quite accurate to say reserve pilots at ASA lack representation (while being required to pay dues). Ask your rep about fixing reserve and listen to him say: "we can't do anything which might infringe on the rights of the line holders." As if reserve pilots don't have equal rights. So don't expect your current ALPA leaders to be "working on a solution." In fact, the union, perhaps even more so than company, is responsible for the abysmal conditions endured by our reserves. The sooner we all come to realize this, the better. Yes the lofty upper reaches of the seniority list are who our reps are concerned with. Regrettably, the only solution to this problem will come only through major initiative from the pilot rank and file. Certainly something every FO who plans to upgrade should consider.

 

[crj567]

It's quite accurate to say reserve pilots at ASA lack representation (while being required to pay dues). Ask your rep about fixing reserve and listen to him say: "we can't do anything which might infringe on the rights of the line holders." As if reserve pilots don't have equal rights. So don't expect your current ALPA leaders to be "working on a solution." In fact, the union, perhaps even more so than company, is responsible for the abysmal conditions endured by our reserves. The sooner we all come to realize this, the better. Yes the lofty upper reaches of the seniority list are who our reps are concerned with. Regrettably, the only solution to this problem will come only through major initiative from the pilot rank and file. Certainly something every FO who plans to upgrade should consider.

It is quite accurate to say that NO ONE is being represented at ASA, with the exception of mgmt. We are all getting hosed quite a bit. No sense in blaming the other pilots-our reps ignore us all, and give SH and CT anything and everything they may wish.

 

[paddlehigh]

if you were a 4am to 7pm reserve how can you legally do a 2145 show.

 

[Av8trix616]

When they call you at 4 am, and notify you you're going to operate at 2145, so you're placed back on rest at 1245. Enjoy your nap. They like to do a similar thing to nap reserves. Call at 8pm, told to go back on rest to operate out of ATL at oh dark thirty. There is no hope of retaining any sort of circadian rhythm while on reserve.

 

[Noise]

You all sit here and complain, but this is what you all wanted. In my opinion when PD was running the scheduling hotline things were much better than they are now. Just my two cents.

 

[sayrejm]

no, PD screwed me too after I got extended into a GDO unplanned. And then when I got back they sent me on another turn and I wasn't able to get out of it. This was a DIRECT violation of the contract. Then I had a hell of a time trying to get my compensation day off which btw I never got.

 

[sayrejm]

However, he would call you back when he said he would. Need to give credit where it is due.

 

[LazyLightnin']

You all sit here and complain, but this is what you all wanted. In my opinion when PD was running the scheduling hotline things were much better than they are now. Just my two cents.

Eff that! PD was scamming all of us. He's no less scummier than Rod Blagojevich.