Why do ASA pilots want PBS?

[Optimax200]

well, after reading 6 pages of this crap........glad I deferred the recall.

Now to get drunk

 

[79%N1]

Some insights on ASA's voting in PBS. It passed for a few reasons. First off, many believe that to remain competitive in an age where regionals are forced to compete for flying, ASA would need PBS to remain competitive, and bid for new contracts going forward and keeping the ones we have. We were currently the only DCI carrier without it. Most ASA pilots believed that PBS would be included most certainly in the next section 6, and that it would be difficult to convince any arbitrator or NMB that we are reasonable for holding out against it, since every other DCI carrier had it. Management all but stated they would not agree to any contract that didn't include it. Maybe they would, maybe not. Who knows.
At any rate, it was perfectly clear that negotiating now would provide us with certain benefits that sec 6 likely would not. For voting it in now, we got some contractual gains that we may not have gotten later, not the least of which is picking the vendor and gaining industry leading PBS language and rules. The system is capable of things that all others is not.

In addition, ASA got certain contractual gains and pay increases (albeit small) that benefit us now. Pay, addition to min day and scheduling and trip swapping and dropping language that we did not have before. It seemed fair to make these gains and help the company remain competitive for the long-term viability of this company, especially since it was coming anyway in the next contract.

Having seen it in action, it is a pretty cool bidding system. Once you know how to use it, it seems pretty cool. You can do MANY things bidding wise that you could never dream of in line bidding. Instead of just demanding that you never have it, just chill out and see what it is all about. You may even like it.

 

[ApocketA's_145]

Maybe im one of the lucky ones... here at XJT as a hardline holder... I have not talked to Crew scheduling on the phone in over a year!! I know what im bidding for, I know the overnights that I am looking for, I know the days that I want to bid off. I consistantly trade trips for the better, I can get multiple days off in a row with our line improvement window. Usually, do 3 on 4 off... I sometimes with coverage in the line improvement window can trade a 4 day with a 2 day and have more days off a month and pickup when a trip looks good enough to work. The flexibility with a line is great! Maybe im just the lucky ones then... would love to know more about a good PBS system though, but hard to see how a great PBS system can be better than what I have been able to do for years.

 

[Medeco]

Maybe im one of the lucky ones... here at XJT as a hardline holder... I have not talked to Crew scheduling on the phone in over a year!! I know what im bidding for, I know the overnights that I am looking for, I know the days that I want to bid off. I consistantly trade trips for the better, I can get multiple days off in a row with our line improvement window. Usually, do 3 on 4 off... I sometimes with coverage in the line improvement window can trade a 4 day with a 2 day and have more days off a month and pickup when a trip looks good enough to work. The flexibility with a line is great! Maybe im just the lucky ones then... would love to know more about a good PBS system though, but hard to see how a great PBS system can be better than what I have been able to do for years.

If you are senior enough to do all that, then in theory, you should be able to do the same with possibly MORE options in our PBS system.

The question remains what kind of games will the company impose, like the red arrow days, that will work around the intent of the PBS language.

Time will tell.

 

[ApocketA's_145]

If you are senior enough to do all that, then in theory, you should be able to do the same with possibly MORE options in our PBS system.

The question remains what kind of games will the company impose, like the red arrow days, that will work around the intent of the PBS language.

Time will tell.

yea... im not that senior either, as long as u hold a line, then its great! But, it sounds like you have a good system as well. This is where we come together and make it good. Sounds like we can bring good things to the table and you guys can as well and combine them. Can you drop trips down to like 20 days off and then look at opentime later and pickup trips as you please? thats what i like... for example, lets say you get a 4 on 3 off schedule.. can u take that 4 day and make it a 2 day if you please and have a week where you fly 2 days and have 5 straight days off? thats what i do here and i dont want to lose that flexibility and if i choose to work alot, i would pick up...

 

[79%N1]

No. You cannot do anything close to that here, nor will you be able to after the integration.

 

[ASABound]

79% N1, that is what we need to shoot for. XJET folks, can you just drop a trip electronically , without begging a chief pilot or crew scheduler ?

 

[LazyLightnin']

I'm sick of xjet guys swinging their dicks and talking about how great their contract is. On FI and in person.

 

[buscap]

I'm sick of xjet guys swinging their dicks and talking about how great their contract is. On FI and in person.

The best revenge would be to better their contract.

Ya think?

 

[LazyLightnin']

The best revenge would be to better their contract.

Ya think?

Who said I wanted revenge, sweetums?

 

[punkpilot48]

79% N1, that is what we need to shoot for. XJET folks, can you just drop a trip electronically , without begging a chief pilot or crew scheduler ?

Yes and No.

As long as there is reserve coverage for that day, you can drop a trip once the secondary line improvement window is open. To do it electronically you have to trick the system a little bit because CCS just wont do it. You want to skip the trick you can call scheduling and chance that nothing changes in the resv pool for the 45+ min you might sit on hold.

We also have bad day worse day trading. Not sure if you're familiar but all that says if you trade a trip into days that have worse coverage than the days of your current duty its all good. But it has to be done over the phone again CCS just doesnt do it for us.

Something else to point out that might clear up some perspectives is we do not trade or pickup opentime based on senority it is first come first serve as long as the pilot is a lineholder. Resv pickup is a little different.

 

[Medeco]

The fact that reserves can pickup at all at XJT is a big bonus.

 

[skootertrash]

Some insights on ASA's voting in PBS. It passed for a few reasons. First off, many believe that to remain competitive in an age where regionals are forced to compete for flying, ASA would need PBS to remain competitive, and bid for new contracts going forward and keeping the ones we have. We were currently the only DCI carrier without it. Most ASA pilots believed that PBS would be included most certainly in the next section 6, and that it would be difficult to convince any arbitrator or NMB that we are reasonable for holding out against it, since every other DCI carrier had it. Management all but stated they would not agree to any contract that didn't include it. Maybe they would, maybe not. Who knows.
At any rate, it was perfectly clear that negotiating now would provide us with certain benefits that sec 6 likely would not. For voting it in now, we got some contractual gains that we may not have gotten later, not the least of which is picking the vendor and gaining industry leading PBS language and rules. The system is capable of things that all others is not.

In addition, ASA got certain contractual gains and pay increases (albeit small) that benefit us now. Pay, addition to min day and scheduling and trip swapping and dropping language that we did not have before. It seemed fair to make these gains and help the company remain competitive for the long-term viability of this company, especially since it was coming anyway in the next contract.

Having seen it in action, it is a pretty cool bidding system. Once you know how to use it, it seems pretty cool. You can do MANY things bidding wise that you could never dream of in line bidding. Instead of just demanding that you never have it, just chill out and see what it is all about. You may even like it.

Wow, just wow. So they string you along for 5 years but you don't think YOU could string them along too?

 

[skootertrash]

No. You cannot do anything close to that here, nor will you be able to after the integration.

Hmmm, 2600 pilots vs 1650 pilots.....roll call vote and, well, wanna bet?

 

[JoeMerchant]

Wow, just wow. So they string you along for 5 years but you don't think YOU could string them along too?

Most of us didn't want to "string them along"...We wanted PBS sooner rather than later.