Originally Posted by
APCLurker
I'm curious how that is.
Under the old system of just RAW score (no buckets), I lost count of the number of times that I, as one of the most senior rsv, got a trip because someone junior in the same days of avail. had a raw score that was only 1-3 points greater than mine. Anybody on rsv knows a difference of 1-5 points is basically no difference in the amount worked.
I seem to recall that the only time seniority worked for you under the straight raw system was at the beginning of the month when everybody started over at zero.
Not arguing, just wondering what I may not be remembering. I just don't remember seniority playing that large of a part.
Also want to echo what somebody else mentioned about the distribution of trips "leveling out" now that the busy season is approaching, AE movements play out, etc.. That definitely seems to be the case in my category. Most of the senior guys are flying just as much this month as junior. And I saw one that already had 5 short calls by the second week.
Actually, you remembered it right.
Suppose it's day 1 and you had the same schedule as a pilot 1 number junior to you and on day 1 a 4-day was to be assigned, that junior pilot got it can got a raw score of let's say 44 points. You didn't fly that week and sat short call or nothing at all, all worth 0 RAW.
Next week, same situation and the two of you were the only ones available, a 4-day pops up, you're up first as the junior pilot is now behind you with a raw of 44.
At the end of your trip and say the other guy didn't fly, you're both at 44. Same situation next week, trip pops up, junior guy goes because seniority won. But of course that's only if you're tied.
Toss all of that, say the junior pilot got a SC assignment to a 1 day trip and got 11 points for it. The next day you two are available for 3 days and a 3-day pops up. Barring any other restriction, you're up next with a raw of 0 and he has 11.
Toss all of that out again and remember back to what used to happen. If you were #20, #30, #40 on LC on the old system, you didn't come to work until week 4 or possibly week 3. Seniority mattered.
Where seniority did not kick in was short calls. That was assigned via a shotgun or a jagged scalpel depending, I guess, on the scheduler.
The point is, as long as the junior pilot had a RAW 1 point higher, for having worked whatever got that 1 point, he or she was listed behind you. As to what a day is worth, I've seen a minimum of 9 and a high of 12, but most days are worth 10-11 points. There were times I YS'd a 2-day to get to the back of the line but a 1 point difference did not mean seniority won. Seniority works under the same premise, 1 digit difference is all it takes to be 1 number junior or senior no matter what you had done to get there and it is what it is, we accept it. Just like I accept the raw system even though I think it's bad deal for more pilots than it is a good deal for a few pilots.
Everyone is flying now, I agree. When they went from 100-110 RES in my category to the 80s for the last 4 months despite the category growing, everyone gets to fly. I think it was foolish to think that outside of a category like the ER and it's issues in the off season, the company wasn't just going to okay domestic pilots takings month after month off. They'd fix that glitch.
But let me cut to the chase, what you have here is people fighting for the right to take a month off from work with full pay. On the 88 the previous system was balanced QOL from top to bottom for nearly all 110 except those working every weekend, the new system shifts the benefit to a few and screwed reserve up for the majority. Now, they cut back on reserves and people are wondering if they'll actually hit the ALV+15 that was supposedly never going to happen. I don't think people thought this past the short term gain for a few because they hope to be a part of the few. But I guess I look at this the same as if we took 1 hour from all 530 pilots on the 88 and let that pay for some to have a month off of flying at ALV. It'd benefit 7 pilots. Probably top 7, but hey, you'll be senior one day too.
But that's just imho. FWIW, I bid reserve for four years to have weekends off, now, I'd rather fly a line with weekends on. That's what I think of our reserve system and I'd be top 3rd of reserve.