Originally Posted by
Toddnel
Has anyone else noticed that it seems like no matter what we do as a union to try and get the company to staff and schedule the airline rationally, they still fail?
We have rigs, we have caps on line value, and now more than ever we have financial penalties to the company for having to SRM and JRM. Still we have major shortages with reserves flying over 85 hours and daily SRM on some fleets. I know of two EWR 737 captains who are getting pay months over $40,000 simply by waiting for the calls for premium pay. Neither are killing themselves as they are getting their existing trip replaced at premium pay to come to work for an earlier trip as the company kicks the proverbial can down the road.
As a 777 FO I had a similar situation happen in Jan when they ran out of crews twice. Both times I was called in for an earlier trip. I didn't work a day extra but with one week of vacation made over $24,000.
Don't get me wrong I'll take the extra money, as it's time to pay the next semesters college tuition, but it's just crazy to talk about charging us for our passes to save money when these staffing shortages are costing them a boat load.
It's very frustrating to go from "regional contract" LCAL to a 3.5-year-hard-fought largest-airline-in-the-world contract, and find then ourselves in the very same boat. I'm sure they've got numbers to show whether they're making or losing money with their methods but that's not my problem. It's just down right discouraging to be at the receiving end of the same chaotic way of doing things except now twice as big. Was hoping for an adult, professional, long-sighted ops management to bring an even keel to the ship, a buffer from the execs, a respect for an RLA contract, and help with our serious responsibilities. Things are so unchanged in so many ways it makes me thrilled to have beer.