Originally Posted by
havick206
It wasn’t a loophole. It was something the company agreed to in a signed LOA. Now they arbitrarily changed it without negotiation with ALPA hence the grievance.
Really it won’t affect many at all except the few that took ‘sick leave’ for many years as an FO and are now ‘fit’ only 6-7 months prior to what they thought was their original flow.
Also it wasn’t always the case you needed to be a CA to flow. FO’s used to be able to flow.
When that LOA was signed, I don't think anyone thought it would ever come to this, with a few FOs playing the "sick leave" game, working their second job, and going directly to mainline.
Yeah, it's a crappy move from the company, they know they get this one for free because the arbitration takes longer than the flow lock. But I wouldn't say the FO's are squeaky clean with this either. Their plan backfired. I just can't see this as a huge plan by the company to restrict flow, as some here suggest.
This doesn't affect the protected pilots, no? The protected FOs can still flow?