Pretty much sums it all up......
June 8, 2017
Houston – The Incredible Shrinking Base
Fellow Pilots,
Yesterday the company released displacement 17-09D2, a displacement just as ridiculous as its name implies. While we were expecting more 787 displacements with the previously announced closing of IAH 787, the displacement of IAH 756 CA, 737 CA & 777 FO is an outright slap in the face to us Houston pilots. About two months ago senior management stood in IAH announcing the 787 closure and assured us that they would be able to absorb overages, especially in growing fleets (i.e. 777) where there is system wide manpower need. Just yesterday Flying Together Front Page News announced more 777-300ERs entering revenue service. We currently have less than half of these new airplanes in service with more to come, yet we are displacing IAH 777 FOs. The 9 IAH 756 CA displacements and 8 737 CA displacements are nothing more than an end run around our UPA 8-I-4 Base Trade language. 8 to 9 pilots are a blip in the system staffing, yet the company is laser focused on raising the junior man number in these categories to eliminate this as a “popular landing point” for some pilots.
In his Crew Resources Update yesterday, Paul Carlson claims that “…displacements are not just ‘numbers’ to me and my team. We fully recognize that behind each displacement is a pilot and his or her family”. We don’t buy that for one second. Paul Carlson, Howard Attarian, Scott Kirby and others from Willis Tower can try to say the right things, but until they back that up with action, these words ring hollow.
We have some ideas for anyone in management reading this. How about honoring your word to absorb the overages by pushing block hours and flying where the manpower is? Why don’t you uphold the language of 8-I-4 that allows a pilot to base trade to their home, instead of chopping them right off the bottom as soon as you have a chance? Why don’t you wait a month or two for displacements other than the closures of SFO 747 and IAH 787? With these four categories closing, the landscape will look much different in a few months. Why don’t you wait on further displacements until the much-anticipated fleet plan is announced? With category closure displacements complete and a known fleet plan, pilots can make an informed decision on what works for them and their family. What about the upcoming re-banking of Houston planned for October? This was supposed to allow for up-gauging of aircraft, increased connections, more flights, and positioning us to challenge DFW as the premier Texas airline hub. How will we “Win Texas” when we are shrinking?
For the 87 IAH pilots being displaced this month, and the rest of us taking a seniority hit with the ensuing fallout, this hurts. Your Council 171 Officers realize what a burden this is, and we stand ready to support you in any way we can. Please reference the attached documents for further information.
Fly safe,
Brad, Nic, and Jamie