SWA New Work Rules?

[DH2WN]

This is not an SWA pilot. Do not repond.

Are you saying people don't do the things he stated. I flew with a Captain who is going to make $350k this year. He does work a lot! But he "works the system". Take it how you want it but when I say "loopholes" I mean spirit of the contract. When I do something I always ask myself what was the spirit of the contract before I act. I am constantly barraged with phone calls from pilots who "have a deal for me." I just say no thanks until I'm off probation. I've locked my line because I don't want a "deal." One guy even spent a half hour explaining how you can make bank on reserve and only work 75% of your reserve days. I don't think these things are the spirit of the contract.

I don't know about the things 7S3W7A claims but the spirit of the contract is what is most important for us to continue with the give and take I previously stated. At my former ALPA carrier people carried their contract around like a priest with a bible. Constantly quoting it verbatim. Arguments over it with scheduling were commonplace each day. Do we want that? I hope not but the company will have no choice but to tighten the language if they have to pay out more than what is in the spirit of the contract.

 

[canyonblue]

At my former ALPA carrier people carried their contract around like a priest with a bible. Constantly quoting it verbatim. Arguments over it with scheduling were commonplace each day.

Two words, Lynn Rapp.

 

[aa73]

Two words, Lynn Rapp.

Holy cow, two ex-Blue Ridgers post in a row! Glad to see you guys were able to jump ship!

aa73
Proud ex Blue Ridger

 

[canyonblue]

Glad to see you guys were able to jump ship!

aa73
Proud ex Blue Ridger

I suspect Kerry Skeen and Tom Moore will put on dresses and head for the lifeboats.

 

[SWAdude]

Are you saying people don't do the things he stated. I flew with a Captain who is going to make $350k this year. He does work a lot! But he "works the system". Take it how you want it but when I say "loopholes" I mean spirit of the contract. When I do something I always ask myself what was the spirit of the contract before I act. I am constantly barraged with phone calls from pilots who "have a deal for me." I just say no thanks until I'm off probation. I've locked my line because I don't want a "deal." One guy even spent a half hour explaining how you can make bank on reserve and only work 75% of your reserve days. I don't think these things are the spirit of the contract.

I don't know about the things 7S3W7A claims but the spirit of the contract is what is most important for us to continue with the give and take I previously stated. At my former ALPA carrier people carried their contract around like a priest with a bible. Constantly quoting it verbatim. Arguments over it with scheduling were commonplace each day. Do we want that? I hope not but the company will have no choice but to tighten the language if they have to pay out more than what is in the spirit of the contract.

I believe what TAZ MAN is saying is that there is some credibility issues with this poster. I challenged 7S3W7A to confirming his claim to work for SWA and he couldn't answer a simple question that only our pilots could have access to.

 

[T1bubba]

Are you saying people don't do the things he stated. I flew with a Captain who is going to make $350k this year. He does work a lot! But he "works the system". Take it how you want it but when I say "loopholes" I mean spirit of the contract. When I do something I always ask myself what was the spirit of the contract before I act. I am constantly barraged with phone calls from pilots who "have a deal for me." I just say no thanks until I'm off probation. I've locked my line because I don't want a "deal." One guy even spent a half hour explaining how you can make bank on reserve and only work 75% of your reserve days. I don't think these things are the spirit of the contract.

I think most of the "loopholes" you are referring to are simply incentives to get people to work on their days off. The company has agreed that reserves exist to put out fires, not to be used to cover flying that slips through DOT and EF. That's why they agreed to let anyone take a reserve's trip, it frees up a reserve to cover a sick call or other last-minute change without paying time and a half.

The guys that are making 150 trips a month are doing exactly what management wants. They may be working the system but they're also blocking 90+ hours a month most months and keeping the rest of us from getting JA'd.

The way I see it I don't mind taking advantage of a good deal when it comes around- I know that there are enough bad deals coming my way to even it out in the long run.

 

[DH2WN]

I think most of the "loopholes" you are referring to are simply incentives to get people to work on their days off. The company has agreed that reserves exist to put out fires, not to be used to cover flying that slips through DOT and EF. That's why they agreed to let anyone take a reserve's trip, it frees up a reserve to cover a sick call or other last-minute change without paying time and a half.

The guys that are making 150 trips a month are doing exactly what management wants. They may be working the system but they're also blocking 90+ hours a month most months and keeping the rest of us from getting JA'd.

The way I see it I don't mind taking advantage of a good deal when it comes around- I know that there are enough bad deals coming my way to even it out in the long run.

It may be what management wants. I don't know. I assumed no but I'm still a probie so I don't know. It just seems sketchy. I believe the company and us would benefit more if we flew our line and picked up some open time along the way. In class we had a day where a line pilot came in and taught us how to get through the first year. In it he went on and on about how to make more money and fly the same. I wish I could quote it. I didn't think much about it because I had enough to deal with. After being on line I notice some pilots do those things. Again, I am all for a good days pay for a good days work but to make twice what you should and work less is, to me, abusive of the spirit of the contract.

All my opinion, of course. I think it'll be interesting to see what comes out of this contract given it's so old of a document.
Being low man on the totum poll I just hope I have a job in the next few years.

 

[aa73]

I suspect Kerry Skeen and Tom Moore will put on dresses and head for the lifeboats.

You mean yachts, right? :uzi:

 

[canyonblue]

Amen brother, let me help ya shoot....:uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :uzi:

 

[Slug]

Gaming the system does occur, but like Bubba said the company is looking for that. They know that a greedy 5% of the pilots will make a killing, but fill in the gaps. The company would rather have that, than 20% reserve coverage and an extra pilot per airframe. The cost savings alone in healthcare is worth it. I'm late in my third year and the gaming the system is not as prevalent as it is made out to be. I haven't flown with a CP in over a year that was tripping out above 110 on a regular basis.


Slug

edit added: Thanks SWA/FO, 110 trips per month for pay in our convoluted pay scale (which I like) is somewhere around 85-95 block hours per month.