Open Time?

[kmox29]

With the furloughs having started a few days ago, why does anyone pick up open time?

We all need money, but with your fellow pilot kicked onto the street, why would you help the company out?

I know ALPA can't request pilots to stop picking it up (illegal job action), but it seems common sense to me to stop.

 

[Ifly4money]

I'm with you. With the hour cut I sure could use the extra money, but screw Fred and atlanta while we're at it. JUST VOTE NO! Pilots don't let pilots vote YES.

 

[Workin'Stiff]

Yeah, I'm also with ya man... I don't pick up anything in open time now that we've got guys out lookin' for jobs...

 

[flyer172r]

Are trip drop requests posted along with open time? I would think trying to pick up a drop request would be ok since you're helping out another pilot.

 

[Workin'Stiff]

I don't think there's any way to tell the difference on our board....

 

[kmox29]

I would think trying to pick up a drop request would be ok since you're helping out another pilot.

Absolutely. Helping out another pilot, or picking up "Union" open time so they can get their Union work done is a must. I am just against picking up any other open time that would benefit the company in any way.

Our company has also been having recently downgraded captains (now FO's) fly trips as a Captain (CA pay of course) to help out when they are short. This is another bunch of crap. I guess our contract permits it, but I think our stance as a Union should be: You downgraded them, you deal with your self induced shortage.

 

[Rossa]

I agree with Kmox, If anyone is picking up extra time, they should have a good reason. As someone who is going to be on the street on Feb 15th, I have some selfish reasons for my stance, however, as someone who has been part of a union outside of aviation, I can tell you that mngt will try to operate with as few people as possible - junior manning is cheaper than keeping extra pilots on staff. For those of us who have some extra bills from the Holidays, think about the long term implications of picking up open time: Mngt will think they can operate with fewer people; when the summer comes around, you can say hello to junior manning and a QOL long suffered by the pilots at 9E; it also tells mngt that we are not as unified a group as ALPA needs to project!

THINK TWICE BEFORE DOING IT!!

 

[shamrock]

Just curious, but which company are you guys talking about?

 

[Rossa]

XJ = Mesaba

 

[N590MA]

I also wil not pick up open time, with over 50 of our pilots on the street. I am getting very tired of getting pulled of my trips as an FO to fly as a captain. Yes I have been getting paid as a capt. for those legs, but I also go on trip guarntee and lose my over block money. As I figure it I have broken about even pay wise. This needs to stop. It's to bad that the union can't do anything about it, but that is the way the contract is written. Unlike the company, the pilots here do adhere to the contract. This is unlike the company, who adheres to the contract only when it suits them. Hopefully things will get better on that issue when that piece of useless sh@# Eddie D. moves on to ruin a different company.