New CS Rumors

[SKYLAWYER]

I didn't sign up to work every weekend. I've talked to quite a few who feel the same way.

I can see your point for the most part. I do not want to make this discussion about a union but have you noticed that NJ also has some employees working every weekend. With or without a union someone at CS would have ended up on that schedule. Even it it was limited to 1% percent of the pilot group a couple of guys would have felt the pain of a Sunday start. I think it sucks but just get a little confused when people state that they are sending cards in due to items that fully-unionized fractionals deal with. You have to take the good with the bad. I can see how the bad tastes a little better when you feel you were part of the process, but I can also see if we unionized we would have just as many pilots pissed with the union as they are pilots pissed with CS mgmt. I think some of our guys can use a little education on what to expect with a contract. It's give and take on both ends. Mgmt will not win all and the pilots will not win all.

 

[7777]

Fellas, what is the benefit to such a schedule? Why now?

 

[SKYLAWYER]

Am I understanding this correctly? CS is proposing schedules that start and stop on weekend days no matter what? The junior guys are going to be stuck working at least half a weekend, all the time? That is when your kids have their baseball games, hockey games, football games, dance recitals, ect..

Skylawyer or others that work at CS, can you comment on this please? Thank you.

Right now 7777 speculation is running wild with this memo. Just take a good look at the proposed basing situation. Everyone got very upset and at the end of it all we are right back where we started. If you get a Sunday start schedule under the new system you will start Sundays and end Saturdays, effectively never having a weekend off. It will probably go very very junior as no one really wants this schedule. I don't even think CS knows exactly where they want to go with this. They appear to very much be in union prevention mode and if they sense this will put the pilot group over the edge I would not be surprised to see the Sunday starts disappear. As always my suggestion to people is an email to the chief pilot. I have sent one already, if you got time to post then you have time to let the boss know what your thoughts are. The company does, however, have a right to seek to be profitable. If this will save money and is awarded in a very straight-forward, fair, seniority based system then I think the company should reserve the right to try to have more efficient and cost effective scheduling so long as it does not compromise safety.

 

[SKYLAWYER]

Fellas, what is the benefit to such a schedule? Why now?

The ability to swap everyday will leave a smaller number of aircraft un-manned for crew swaps. The only problem I see with this is that it appears to be 180 degrees away from our walk on walk off policy.
Why now - wish I knew the answer to that one, the summer is IMHO a horrible time to play with schedules. Many folks have plans for their off weeks.
Maybe it will be announced in July and implemented in September.

 

[7777]

Very interesting Sky. I am going to be watching this closely.

 

[7777]

BTW Sky, thanks for the information.

 

[SKYLAWYER]

BTW Sky, thanks for the information.

No problem, do remember 7777 it's worth exactly what I charge for it.

 

[flagshipper]

There all people who dont mind weekends starts like myself but I am the exception

 

[SKYLAWYER]

There all people who dont mind weekends starts like myself but I am the exception

In a perfect world the weekend starts would only go to the pilots that bid for it. Thus meeting the needs of the mgmt team and the pilots who desire to start on the weekend. Hopefully someone at HQ is paying attention to my brilliant idea.

 

[fischman]

Right now 7777 speculation is running wild with this memo. Just take a good look at the proposed basing situation. Everyone got very upset and at the end of it all we are right back where we started. If you get a Sunday start schedule under the new system you will start Sundays and end Saturdays, effectively never having a weekend off. It will probably go very very junior as no one really wants this schedule. I don't even think CS knows exactly where they want to go with this. They appear to very much be in union prevention mode and if they sense this will put the pilot group over the edge I would not be surprised to see the Sunday starts disappear. As always my suggestion to people is an email to the chief pilot. I have sent one already, if you got time to post then you have time to let the boss know what your thoughts are. The company does, however, have a right to seek to be profitable. If this will save money and is awarded in a very straight-forward, fair, seniority based system then I think the company should reserve the right to try to have more efficient and cost effective scheduling so long as it does not compromise safety.

FWIW, and I don't want to turn this into a union debate either, the contract for NJA under section 19.2(E) states that no more than 15% of the 7&7 starts (company wide) can not be on a Sunday for that reason. I was on Sunday starts for about a year. I hated it.

I thought you guys might be able to use that if you hate the Sunday as much as I did.

Safe flights,