It would be interesting to see just how much "negotiating" will be conducted. Any bets as to the side letter reading exactly what the company offered in their direct communications with us?

Here's an opportunity to fix at least a few of the low/no-cost items. How about some parameters assigned to the CAN/HKG GT? Such as:

-Pickup/dropoff at crewmembers dwelling-small cost to the company-HUGE difference in crew fatigue and housing location choice for "affordable" places;

-Limits to how many >2.0 hours GT in a given day/week/month/whatever, but something other than just a blanket waiver.

-Specified type of vehicle for CAN-HKG G/T.

-A bank amount established for G/T >2.0 hours?

-How about a leg-limit following the CAN-HKG GT? Block hour limit? Duty limit? (A 3-4 hour GT with a Chinese driver is decidedly more fatiguing than the same amount of block time, especially with no restrictions set on type of vehicle...think about that ICN van ride and triple it!).

-Provide G/T for those who live in the CAN area (one would think the company could see the win/win both sides could realize in giving a little incentive for some to live close to the airport).

-Up the housing allowance (yeah right), Okay maybe not, but how about eliminating the words "up to" and just come clean with the cash and let those spend it as they wish?

-How about a little fight for Tax Protection vs Tax Equalization. This would be a big incentive for getting junior guys to fill those empty seats. This would have a negligible effect on the company bottom line, but a HUGE effect on many individuals.

-How about getting the company to provide some relocation assistance to those who choose to live in CAN? Cartus currently refuses such assistance. Certainly there is a mechanism set up for the mgt folks who will be going there.

-How about a minimum number of sleep rooms established based on number of hubturns/long-GT-then-fly scheduled? We're told there will be 16 rooms=8 crews.....anyone think this will be enough?

-How about making any side letter contingent on a defininitive G/T plan being established. How about making that GT plan contractual?

-How about some hundred-pound shipments like the ones currently in place in Subic? No cost to the company...in fact, I believe it's a write-off. Duty costs too high? Have the crewmember split it, perhaps. I've been to Hong Kong grocery stores...even their best have limited western supplies, if not old/stale/expensive. Family back home wants to ship XMAS presents to their loved ones in HKG under current provisions? Better make them able to fit in an envelope. The G.I. Joe for the HKG-based crewmembers' "personal choice" from the Grandparents is pretty much cost-prohibitive without a little help from the global shipping company employer.

These are just a few low-cost/no-cost things that should have been covered last spring that were blown off. Let's challenge our new negotiating chair to at least try and get some decent language written into the LOA for items that don't choke the golden chicken (okay, goose) but can make a huge difference on an individual basis in QOL. It's also in the company's best interest to have people not want to just bug out of there at the first opportunity. Make it a little more liveable and maybe some folks will actually stick around out there.

Okay, hand me the bottle, I'm ready to pee in it.... I must be out of my mind to even suggest anything such as the above.



BGY-Disingenuous Proponent of Hysteria