Originally Posted by
Mustang62
I guess I'm not understanding how a reserve line works here. Do you bid based on your preferences and then are assigned according to how those fit in with your seniority and what others bid? Or are there established lines that you bid for? Do they try to make the lines commutable? And I've read that you can commute in on the first day. How does that work?
You will enter into a program (PBS) what your work preferences are for the month and how much value you think those preferences are to you (I.e. days you want off, days you want to work, priority of reserve periods, etc) and that program will use its algorithms to generate you a reserve line based on those requests and your real active seniority. For example you and every other reserve line holder may want weekends off, but the company needs x number to work weekends. Senior reserve line holders get them off and junior guys don’t. That simple. You will know when the bid package comes out where you rank and what type of line you can expect prior to bidding on PBS.
As far as commutable reserve lines. P1 starts at 0500, so most commute in day prior and commute home on last day of reserve. P2 starts at 1000 so most commute in day of and may have to commute home day after last reserve day. P3 starts at 1700 so most commute in day of and plan to commute home day after last reserve day. Long Call Reserve just came back to us. It gives you a 12 hour call out instead of the minimal 2 hours. Theoretically you can then commute in after being called.