Originally Posted by
Car Ramrod
Hopefully you hastily wrote this after a couple of cocktails before going to bed because you obviously didn't understand what I was trying to say. First off- i don't feel "bad" about me or anyone else using transition conflicts. It is part of our contract and the company signed it. We may have slipped that little nugget by the goalie, but such is life. When I said its a "matter of principal" I was talking about how we should not HAVE to bid a conflict to get paid what we deserve. The company should straight up pay us what we deserve.
Now, moving forward... What is the conflict language worth? If you get 5 days off in transition and end up with a 21 day off line that pays you $10k for the month. What difference would it be if you were able to just flat out drop that trip and still have 21 days off and still make $10k for the month? Point is: you CAN put a $ amount on the conflict language, and if ALPA chooses to trade it away I will listen to what the company has to offer in return.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but those were your words not mine. No cocktail needed to read that. And my post was at 4:27pm, hardly bedtime. Details my friend; please pay attention.
I totally see what you're saying in the second paragraph above and agree whole-heartedly, I've just run into too many people that don't put much value in the current transition language. Bad attitude to have leading into openers. That language is BIG and very lucrative, however many or few it affects. Month-to-month transition can be one of the major negatives in a monthly bidding system and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has worked under contracts where crew planning OWNED you during the time period. My time at home means too much to me and I'll be damned if I'll support anything that puts it back in the company's control.
Are there other possibilities that exist that change the language yet still protect us during transition? Sure there are and that's going to be in the hands of our negotiating team. It's up to us to voice to the team how important this is.