Originally Posted by
fdx727pilot
This is the applicable part of the CBA
"Section 24 E. 1.
b. Down/Lateral Bid Restriction
Unless waived by the Vice President, Flight Operations, or his designee, a pilot may not receive a permanent vacancy award based on a down/lateral bid unless he has been in his current crew status for at least 18 months.
c. Down/Lateral Bid Freeze
A pilot who is activated in a crew status that requires ITU training based on a down/lateral bid shall be frozen in that crew status for 24 months, commencing on his actual activation date. A pilot is not eligible for a permanent crew position award requiring ITU training with a projected training date during that freeze period except under the following conditions:
i. the pilot was excessed or down/lateral bid to relieve an excess; or
ii. the pilot down bid because of legal restrictions."
So, as I read it, you must be on the 72 for 18 months before being awarded the same seat on the 75. However, if you were awarded the seat on the just completed posting, you either have the time, or it was waived by VP Flt Ops. Once activated, you will have a 24 month freeze if the assignment was a lateral or downbid, although being in an FDA and signing the Letter of Aggreement makes the freeze problematic, as you'll be there at least 24 months.
Many thanks...
...given the CBA verbiage, I think your interpretation is spot on.
...and it is also the way the company applied the verbiage for 727 FOs who bid for 757 FO slots domestically (i.e. the 18 month lock was NOT waived)
...this is another important bidding dimension to fully understand for the next bid, especially as the rumors fly that there may be more than one 757 bid next year
...another early in the year in a second attempt to fill the FDAs before calling poolies, and one later for future domestic expansion (...all unsubstantiated rumors, of course!)
Thanks again for the specific CBA reference.