Question regarding DAL furloughs

[180ToTheMarker]

About a month ago I had a Delta guy on my airplane and after the customary swapping of rumors I later came up with two questions:

1) Rumor is that some of the Delta pilots continue to put in "green slips", which If I am correct, is basically volunteering to fly any open time on their off days. With the company still furloughing, why would anyone pick up open time?

2) Second rumor is that the Delta reserves are flying thier a** off!
If thats true, and the those guys who are picking up open time stopped doing so, whouldn't Delta need to recall?

 

[Bill Mostellar]

About a month ago I had a Delta guy on my airplane and after the customary swapping of rumors I later came up with two questions:

1) Rumor is that some of the Delta pilots continue to put in "green slips", which If I am correct, is basically volunteering to fly any open time on their off days. With the company still furloughing, why would anyone pick up open time?

2) Second rumor is that the Delta reserves are flying thier a** off!
If thats true, and the those guys who are picking up open time stopped doing so, whouldn't Delta need to recall?

1) Yes, "Green Slips" are authorized by our contract, even with pilots furloughed. Our manning formula is supposed to trigger an increase in the number of pilots required if overtime flying exceeds a certain number, but I don't think the level is anywhere near that plateau.

2) The massive training we're doing because of the furloughs and displacements is causing the reserve to fly a bit more, but it really depends on the category and seniority. Our lastest contract completely changed our reserve system. Basically, we went from 2 windows each day to a 24 hours on-call status with 12 hour notice to report (unless one is on short call). It eliminated the "first-in-last-out" nature of the previous system. Therefore, the most junior pilots in a given category are flying much more than before. The more senior pilots are possibly flying less. Again, it all depends on the caetgory.

I wish you success!

 

[PSL]

Bill:

Did you really mean 24 hours of availability during reserve ?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thouht the most you could deemed available is 16 hours under 121.

Also ... did your MEC grieve the current round of furloughs given the aribtrator's ruling in your most recent case?

Personally, I don't comprehend how your management can claim FM ? Are they attempting to justify their actions due to the brief Iraq housecleaning and now SARS ?

Good grief, what's next ? They will probably blame your retirees en masse for creating another FM event ?

I wish your company a speedy return to profitability ...

 

[AlbieF15]

Let's see....some guys are greenslipping when their bros are on the street? Just cause its "legal" don't make it "right". I'm sure the furloughed guys will be anxious to buy that man a beer when they are back on the line five years from now...

 

[flyingdog]

Dear Albie the era when pilots were considered the knights of the 20th century is over. Now we are in the 21st century. New millenium, new century, new concepts. The King is dead, God bless the King. Our mighty pilots as long as they have majority of votes from I, Me and Myself everything is a GO. Under belt punches are OK too.
And as long the CEOs fill their own pockets with as much green as possible I don't see why the pilots should obey the honesty rule. We live in a society where honesty is considered stupidity, modesty and good character are seen as weakness, respect to your fellow human as retarded.
Wake up my friend and smell the new era. It smell like fish.

 

[enigma]

Let's see....some guys are greenslipping when their bros are on the street? Just cause its "legal" don't make it "right". I'm sure the furloughed guys will be anxious to buy that man a beer when they are back on the line five years from now...

At Spirit the MEC was so scared about being sued over an "illegal" job action, our MEC chairman was out picking up open time with pilots on furlough. We were not (previous to our new contract) required to pick up open time, so I don't know how it could be illegal to refuse to do something that you had no requirement to do in the first place, but our leaders were scared spitless about it being so. Go figure.

regards,
enigma

BTW, the chairmans defenders said that he only picked up o.t. in order to stay current, I hope so.

 

[Turbojet]

PSL,

What Bill is saying regarding the reserve period is correct, and legal. You can sit a 24 hr reserve period, but if you are called for a trip, you must have an 9 hr (8hr reduced) rest period looking back in any 24 hr period. Sitting reserve is conisered duty and NOT rest. So by having the 12 hour call out period, you wil always have legal rest to start a trip. Scheduling will call you for a trip and then say "we are releasing you from duty now (enjoy your rest) and you show time is in 12 hours....

Hope that helps,
Turbojet

 

[PSL]

Now I understand the distinction ...

Given a call to go to work you have to be able look back and find a rest period of at least 8 hours. Hence an assignment 12 hours into the future makes the 24 hours reserve availability OK.

I think I get it.

Since we (SWA) have a 2 hour report limitation, we obviously can't sit a 24 hour reserve assignment ... for us it's 16.

Thanks ...

 

[Bill Mostellar]

I think I get it.

Since we (SWA) have a 2 hour report limitation, we obviously can't sit a 24 hour reserve assignment ... for us it's 16.

We can sit this reserve six days in a row before the mandatory 24/7 rest (we can also get that rest on the road by having a 24 hour layover, or 3 hours at a Holiday Inn Express ;>).

Scheduling can assign us up to 6 short calls a month. The short call is a maximum of 12 hours long, but has no report time associated with it ("Promptly available" is generally accepted as 2 hours though, depending on traffic, etc.). Once we report, we can be used up to the 16 hours IAW the FARS.

I wish you success!