Open Time?

[flyin backwards]

Open time???? what open time? there is none for saab ca or fo for the whole month of jan. And if there was it really makes no difference if you pick it up or not. they will just it to a reserve and if they have none the phone starts ringing for a junior man. I have NEVER picked up open time when people are on furlough, but I don't think it makes a difference.

 

[kmox29]

they will just it to a reserve and if they have none the phone starts ringing for a junior man. I have NEVER picked up open time when people are on furlough, but I don't think it makes a difference.

Fine, let them assign it to a reserve. That's why the company has them. It makes a difference to those who might be on a build up reserve (more credit for the month). The junior man will cost the company 150% pilot pay and they don't try and hide their number when they call you. Don't answer the phone.

My point was that there is no good reason to pick up open time with pilots on furlough. I could care less if it makes a difference to the company.

 

[Qwertyuiop]

Here’s my take on the open time issue:

1. Regardless of whether an airline has pilots furloughed or about to be furloughed, the airline will require fewer pilots (fewer jobs, fewer union members, less union dues) if some pilots pick up open time. I think it’s hypocritical to say that picking up open time is okay once an airline has settled its labor issues, but not okay during contentious contract negotiations. Either way, there will be fewer union jobs.

2. If you don’t think it’s okay to allow crewmembers to pick up open time, then why did YOU (collectively as a pilot bargaining group) vote in a contract that allows for picking up open time? If you think picking up open time is wrong, don’t vote in a contract that provides for it.

3. During contract negotiations under the Railway Labor Act, both the airline and union are required by Federal law to maintain the status quo, which essentially means not doing anything you wouldn’t normally do in the normal course of business to exert pressure on the other party to settle the contract. Any individual pilot is free to make the choice of whether to work extra time for themselves. Any appearance, regardless of whether it can and will ultimately be proven in court, that the pilot group is putting pressure on other pilots not to pick up open time, is grounds for the company to seek legal action against the union in Federal court. This will only serve to drag out the negotiations further, and cost more, a situation in which no-one wins.

4. In today’s economic climate, airlines need to do what they can to remain competitive so they can continue to exist and provide the jobs that you’re ‘fighting’ for. Part of that is doing more with less. That’s just the reality of business. The result of forcing your airline to employ more pilots to do the same work that a competing airline can do with fewer pilots will ultimately be that more business, and hence more jobs, will go to the competing airline, and more jobs will be lost from your airline, assuming the airline can even remain in business. That’s the view of a realist. The idealist’s view on the other hand is: give us what we want or we’ll force you out of business. At the end of the day, you have to decide for yourself whether to be a realist and be able to feed your family, or whether to be an idealist and feel good.

5. A popular argument for higher pilot pay and better working conditions is that pilots are, and should be, treated and paid as professionals. If you want to be paid and treated as a professional, then you have to ACT like a professional. How professional is it to resort to name-calling, blacklisting, bullying, and intimidating other members of your “profession” who disagree with you? Just as YOUR individual decision not to pick up open time because YOU don’t want to be furloughed so YOU can keep YOUR job and feed YOUR family, should be respected; so should the individual decision of the pilot who wants to pick up open time so HE/SHE can increase HIS/HER income in order to feed HIS/HER family, be respected.

 

[kmox29]

Just as YOUR individual decision not to pick up open time because YOU don’t want to be furloughed so YOU can keep YOUR job and feed YOUR family, should be respected; so should the individual decision of the pilot who wants to pick up open time so HE/SHE can increase HIS/HER income in order to feed HIS/HER family, be respected.

Using this logic, it should be perfectly acceptable to you for pilots willing to work for half your wage to put you out of a job. After all, just because YOU think YOU should be paid a professional wage doesn't make YOU right.

 

[D'Angelo]

It is definately union hypocrisy at work here. They want to have their cake and eat it too. One way or another the flight is going to get covered. There are many perks to picking up open time. I agree if they don't want open time then don't put it in the contract. Its kind of like when they tell people to follow the FARs and Contract 100% when they are trying to get something they want. Are they saying we shouldn't follow the FARs and proper MEL procedures if we get a contract we want? I have no problem picking it up and will continue to do so until they stop paying 150% credit for it. According to ALPA it is 100% legal and ethical to pick up open time whenever. If it wasn't they wouldnt have it in the contract.

 

[Qwertyuiop]

Using this logic, it should be perfectly acceptable to you for pilots willing to work for half your wage to put you out of a job. After all, just because YOU think YOU should be paid a professional wage doesn't make YOU right.

You are correct. Whatever the offered wage for any job, I have the freedom to choose whether or not to work that job. Is that right? Or is that wrong? It is what it is.

 

[D'Angelo]

You are correct. Whatever the offered wage for any job, I have the freedom to choose whether or not to work that job. Is that right? Or is that wrong? It is what it is.

You are correct my friend we all love our freedom in this country. People scream and complain when their freedom or rights are violated. Yet if you CHOOSE to do something that the union or some other pilot group doesnt like they try to harass you and violate your privacy/freedom to choose. It truly is what it is. It is a sad reality but its the truth. I wish everyone would stand up and stand together so we could keep what we have. Unfortunately we live in a free market and we are controlled by supply and demand. There are too many pilots and not enough jobs right now.

 

[flyin backwards]

What about all the Saab captains for January who are only crediting 75hrs when they are use to 90hrs. Should they not pick up open time to get their income back to the 90hrs? This $hithole company is going to furlough people regardless of who picks up opentime. There could be 10000hrs of open time and they would still furlough because that is part of their little scare tactic game they play. And it also costs the company 150% if somebody picks up opentime. It costs them ZERO if they give it to a reserve. So picking up open time actually screws the company a little bit more.

 

[Dodge]

It matters not whether a pilot picks up open time or does not. They are going to staff how they want to. Special Ed and Workman are not going to sit in the back office at Pan Am and say: "I bet 10 percent of Saab pilots will pick up open time in MEM. Let's build schedules accordingly."

The furloughs/downgrades are here to stay.

 

[W&BWiz]

Kmox, what's the difference between picking up an actual trip or picking up a reserve day?
Does that mean your reserve days are done now too?