Originally Posted by
CLazarus
You crack me up Awax, repeating the exact same points again and again as if it they get stronger with each try.
Here is your prime argument used against you. EWR is widely acknowledged as having the best flying in the system. However, DEN is by far the most senior, with many relatively senior folks who live there commuting to SFO/LAX to get a line, fly WB, or whatever. Is it not an abrogation of seniority that such senior folks in DEN have to do this? By golly, why isn't the MEC forcing the company to route the best flying through DEN and making those junior guys in EWR suck it up? Come to think of it, why do we allow bases to bid separately for their "own" flying? I suppose perhaps we should allow guys to bid in seniority order without regard to base. I wouldn't mind bidding and commuting to a couple of different bases during the month for a crack at some of their best trips, it wouldn't add much commute time for me at all.
What's that you say? "But, but, but, it would make no sense to have all those great Caribbean turns start in DEN! We've always carved out separate bidding by base." I agree with you, but the DEN base is indeed senior so I guess by your line of thought we'd have to build inefficient trips and burn money to honor the seniority of the pilots there. Profit sharing be dammed!
I would have been content to see this thread go nowhere after my initial post, as I'm fine just observing how things go for DAL. Like I said, the discussion on their forum on the subject was damn near cut and paste from what has already been said here. If you've got a brand new case to make, I'm all ears. If not, let the thread die pretty please. Spare me any insults though, I consider them to be veiled attempts to shore up a weak argument.
I'm glad you're amused, however you haven't provided an example of how opening a virtual base avoids abrogating seniority. You correctly cite that pilots live where they want and fly what they can hold for whatever reason but I think you're confusing monthly schedule preferring with equipment/base award.
What you fail to address is this: A new base, represents new flying and ALL pilots on the seniority list have the right to bid it.
You see it as a weak argument, although I'm just paraphrasing current CBA language. I don't have convince anyone really, but I'll damn sure grieve any unilateral change. The MEC has already told the company that ALPA's not interested in VB's for many of the "weak arguments" I'm making. VBs won't happen, but I'm curious to see if you have an idea of how it could be done without gutting the CBA? It appears not.
I don't troll the DAL forum, or watch their videos, maybe you'd like to make a case for how a VB would affect the UAL pilot CBA. Also, as per your wish, I'm doing my part to make sure this thread, post, and the idea of a virtual base goes nowhere.
Here's the bottom line. If the company determines that flying can more efficiently be done from a new base, we have a process for that. In that contractual process, ALL pilots get a crack at it.
Here's your chance, convince me that a virtual base is anything more than attempt to carve a special good deal for commuters in one fleet and one base.
Convince me that my company seniority is not affected if a desirable base is opened and I can't bid it because I'm not in the correct BES.
Convince me that the g-line in the BES where the flying is taken from won't change, and that the number one pilot in that BES will have as many options to bid a monthy schedule.
I'm all for new bases, new flying, and more options.....in system seniority order. Does that "argument" offend you?