Originally Posted by
Andy
As a fellow 2172, I have to agree with guppie. I'd prefer a much leaner operation where there are, as he stated, we should be allowed to drop below minimum days and fly over vacation on a voluntary basis.
In the next downturn, management is going to park some of our older equipment until they right-size supply with reduced demand. The best way to minimize furloughs IMHO is to have pilots allowed to fly a ton of hours during the good times so that all that's required is to reducing the number of flying hours in line construction, as is currently listed in 5-B-1-(a)-1. But I'd tighten that up a bit, not allowing the company to construct lines above 80 hrs if any pilot's furloughed.
In addition, I'd open up 20-P-1-h to allow pilots to drop down to zero hours rather than have to do a voluntary furlough.
The downside to allowing a ton of flying during good times is that some pilots will get hooked on 100+ credit hour paychecks and will not be happy when their hours are reduced. But by cutting the number of hours they're able to fly, furloughs would be significantly reduced.
So, you think that pilots and management will want to reduce hours and lose efficiency during a downturn? So are you a person that historically picks up open time > 111 hrs of credit each month? I don't believe for one second that during a downturn those that fly 90-110 hrs of credit a month will just go along with 70-80 credit hrs a month. Yeah, right...
Study history much? Please take a trip down memory lane and remove the blinders...
The last downturn, you couldn't stop pilots picking up overtime, and the union couldn't even suggest it. If you think management will agree to a clause in the UPA that will restrict them from being efficient while, God forbid, we have furloughs, you are willing to give up much more than most to line your own pockets. Ask the FedEX guys how they enjoyed their reduced schedule during the last downturn with a clause that was similar to what you suggest...
Without a clause like this in the UPA, pilots will justify picking up overtime like they have done time and time again because they will say, "Open time pickup is in the UPA, and that's my right," and "I've got bills to pay, yadah yadah yadah."
It sounds like you are a management wet dream (just take a look at their openers) or just a flying ***** who would fly till they die if it weren't for FAR preventing them from doing so.
It sounds like you finally got to the seat where you wanna be for the rest of your career, or are at least content with it, so manpower negative policies won't have a large effect on you.
Sorry, but no thanks. Some people who have been stagnant for 5-15 years would still like to be able to bid CA before they are 55 years old.