The problem with our TA is that it does not identify specific instances when rescheduling is permitted. The lack of specific language provides scheduling the ability to ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ on a whim, which will have a compounding effect on the rescheduling of other crews.
Many pilots at F9 have told me that they don’t care where they spend the night. I ask,
-Do you care about preserving seniority in the bidding process?
-Can you mitigate fatigue calls after you plan and prepare for a short duty period only to be reassigned to three long duty periods with 12-hour overnights?
-Will multiple fatigue calls calls result in the company questioning my medical fitness? (I would like to think not, but after seeing the way that the company has behaved during the last year, and the fact that they wanted this provision, it seems plausible.)
I encourage all my fellow pilots to closely look at this TA prior to casting your vote.
We all want more money. Believe me, I have big plans for my bonus check. However, I am willing to sacrifice short-term financial gains (long-term for the time value of money crowd) if necessary in order to fix the numerous loopholes in this TA. My hope is that my fellow pilots on the line are willing to do the same.