Originally Posted by
FL370esq
14 CFR 121.436(a)(3) would be the FAR reference. It requires a minimum of 1,000 hours SIC in Air Carrier operations prior to being able to act as a PIC. 14 CFR 121.436 (c) allows military pilots who operated multiengine fixed-wing turbine aircraft requiring more than one pilot (aka, non pointy-nose aircraft) to deduct 1 hour of military PIC for 1 hour of the 1,000 SIC, up to 500 hours.
The bigger question is, where under our current contract, is language saying they can deny you an in-seniority AE award and not have to pay you for it? Seems they could/should pay-protect you (and possibly buy you trips) until you hit your 1000 SIC but I am not sure there is language in the PWA that specifically addresses this known issue. (Of course, the company knew this was going to be/could be an issue after the pre-TA Sept AE when the 4 month wonder was awarded the M88A yet they left it alone).
this is what DALPA quoted this morning from the PWA:
Section 20 - Seniority
C. Rights
1. Among pilots with sufficient qualifications, seniority will govern:
a. promotion and demotion,
b. awarding of vacancies and displacements,
c. assignment or reassignment due to expansion or reduction of schedules,
d. retention in case of furlough, and
e. recall from furlough.
2. A pilot who is denied a position for lack of sufficient qualifications will immediately be furnished with written notice detailing the specific deficiencies.
They said that not having 1000 SIC equates to not having sufficient qualifications and therefore they can deny an in-seniority AE award.
I don't know why the company couldn't award it to those who are close to the 1000 hrs based on a later projected conversion date and require them to have the time before converting. They know the 88As will not convert at the beginning of the window. There are still 88As from the last AE that have not yet converted.
They knew this was going to happen, but I don't think they said anything about it in any of the postings for the AE. Maybe with sufficient warning someone who was close would have picked up some trips to put them over the line?