Originally Posted by
wt932051
I agree totally. After looking at this I see so many vague things this thing is going to be a grievance nightmare! You would think these guys negotiating would have learned we needed specific language, not just more air filled language. How about something like..after 4 or more reports of bed bugs in any rolling 6 month period, the company will find a new hotel to put crews up permanently. Not, we will be notified and discuss the situation garbage...
I love how after coming back from a flight, the contract states they could reassign you to ready reserve. Per the FAR and the latest interpretations they cannot assign you RR. Only more flying, or regular reserve. Errors already. Unless something has been redefined recently.
I don't like this reserve system balancing either. I don't see how that benefits anyone. If you are junior you need hours to consolidate anyway. As you get senior, you get better trips ahead of time if you are CMF and that helps with commuting. If you are home based you can bid CML and sit at home. So reserve balancing would be worse for everyone I think. I don't see how it would benefit Mesa either.
I agree the LCR is loose. In the current contract it says they will offer LCR "should staffing permit". The TA language is very similar. It seems all the company would have to do is to claim that LCR requires additional staffing and then refuse to provide it. Alternatively, the company can set the reserve buffers so that everyone who gets awarded LCR will be called to SCR, nullifying the LCR. Setting the buffers was something the company was not willing to negotiate on according to the union officers I spoke with.
Ready reserve in the middle of an FDP is not prohibited by FAR 117. The current contract prohibits assigning ready reserve to a line holder. That holds true in the TA, although I can't find it on second reading.