Originally Posted by
Denny Crane
A "few" commuters? Let me ask you this: Who is going to bid VB/TDY? I'll answer: All most all if not all commuters. Why would a guy living in base bid one? This will be a huge boon to all 767 and smaller commuters. I don't see bigger aircraft being part of a VB.
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Yes it's going to cut down on DH and thus require less pilots to be hired but as someone mentioned, with the current hiring and retirements coming up, it won't even be felt.
Denny
Almost all commuters may bid a VB, but surely they won't all get it, right? How is it a boon to ALL commuters? It remains to be seen if the seniority many of the VBers achieve in their VBs makes the shift worthwhile. It's not even clear to me that bidders will be able to set a percentage floor for seniority. A 30% pilot could end up 99% in the VB if protections aren't provided. And those commuters who aren't selected to VB will be left with a smaller bid package in their existing base.
To your last point, I'm not sure the hiring rate affects one's progression from NB to WB although it may improve QOL for those who can't hold WB at the seniority they require. Retirements naturally help progression to WB, but since they don't really accelerate much during this contract, that argument is premature. I think the effect of VBs (and ALV widening) will indeed be felt by many.
My hunch is that getting paid UAL's hourly rate (well below the earnings of FedEx and UPS) is a carrot big enough to disregard these sticks, FWIW.