Originally Posted by
Rock
I doubt it. The company bases vacation cancellations and advanced volunteer on real numbers. Not on their estimates of how willing we are to fly extra. Our screwed up manning levels and the state of our contract negotiations are two separate issues. Approving the current TA tomorrow won't solve the manning problems we are going to have this peak. Maybe some guys are just sport *****ing, but I think most of us are actually sincere about being maxed out health wise by the current status of operations. That means that the company could double our A Plan cap and hourly wage, and we're still not going to be able to safely increase our hours flown to get the company through peak. The company knows that, so I really don't think they are that worried about implementing a new contract before this peak. In fact, they are probably already working with other resources to fill the inevitable gaps. Again.
That's possible, but it is also completely plausible that Mgt has bet the farm on getting this TA approved. The last thing they want to see going into peak is a TA voted down. Now they know the pilot group is more unified and really unhappy and pi$$ed. Not the group you need with bad weather, long nights and numerous potential divert options. Winter storm fronts can be vast and a better divert option might not be within recovery trucking distance. If we vote it down, they must react quickly and very decisively with a vastly improved offer or the certainty of peak being far worse than bleak. Mgt does not have the time to renegotiate and new TA, THEY must get a better option across the table quickly.