Originally Posted by
AZPilotMike
Yeah I can see how the language often differs from reality and I can also understand that it should be limited to a certain percentage of the reserve line.
Either way I feel like there could be a happy middle ground in regards to reserve rules. Thank you for the input.
Please don't think that my intention was to encourage acceptance of the status quo or pacifism. No time in the regional airline history have circumstances been better posed to make improvements to monetary and QOL issues like Section 12 like it is today. I wish you all the luck as your fight the fight that so many have fought before and hopefully you will have more success than we did. Things like reserve QOL are especially difficult because you have to muster support within the union first, before you even start fighting the company. To the sufficiently motivated individual though, few endeavors could improve the QOL of so many.
Originally Posted by
Pedro4President
Couple things need clarification.
1 - LCR isn't commutable. 8pm call for a 6 am show?? What city can do this?
LCR isn't a guarantee of commutability but it would still greatly improve reserve QOL by forcing the company to assign known open time a day in advance allowing for a pilot to commute. He may have to commute the night before to cover an "uncommutable trip" but most of the time that will not be the case. Your cited example would be a good reason to negotiate a 14 or 16 hr call out window for LCR.
2- The number of reserve (not including relief or composite) LINES awarded is contractually required to be proportional. 60 reserve pilots with ten different lines means 6 pilots per line. Comp/relief is awarded one pilot per line. If LCR is awarded as a normal reserve line then slightly less than 10% would be awarded LCR even if 10% of the lines were LCR. I see no way under our current assignment of reserve to have 10% pilots on LCR unless specifically stated in the contract.
As nicely worded as this paragraph is, it still doesn't change what the LCR Language was in that failed TA. It made no mention of proportion or multi-awards. Your right, our current Section 12/Proffer system wouldn't allow LCR to be pigeon holed. Adding LCR to Envoy's contract would have to be one of many changes facilitating the new paradigm.
3. I think there are better ways to improve our reserve system than LCR. Allowing commuters (or anyone who volunteers for the turn back list) to bid for trips multiple days in advance. Why have a trip sit in OT until the day prior?
You are correct. Envoy's Reserve System could use many improvements. Unfortunately J Easton views any positive improvement for the pilots to be a hindrance to Crew Scheduling's flexibility and operational efficiency. She sees nothing as being mutually beneficial. So long as the current systems "works" for them, they have zero motivation to change it. Hard thing to do when half of your reserve pilots are on probation and the other half, seeing the flow on the horizon, just want to get out and move on. Many of the horrible aspects of regional airline contracts exist because the membership viewed the company as a stepping stone. A temporary purgatory that would soon be a distant memory, until it wasn't.