Originally Posted by
Bandit524
Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. Our collective union says disputed pairings are onerous and are potentially detrimental to safety. Without published supporting rationale we’re supposed to blindly follow their guidance. In the meantime, our least experienced crews are forced to fly these same pairings. Wow, there’s an original safety thought for you! This is all from the same union that promised the moon with respect to analytical contract advice but missed the boat on numerous issues (all discussed previously in this forum), sold us down the river with respect to the FDA, and ignored the majority on age 65. I for one am done with blindly following union recommendations and will assess DPs based upon my own evaluation of the pairing in question. I quite sure there are numerous others that feel likewise. I’m not trying to start a war here and I respect how strongly you guys feel but I’ve felt the need to say this for some time. Maybe you folks can convince me that I’m wrong but my trust in our union is currently deeply in the red.
In an attempt to convince you you are wrong I must start out by saying you are 90% right. The arrogant SOBs refuse to admit mistakes about hosing the lower half of the seniority list every chance they get. Then blow smoke up our exhaust about how unified and ready we are for contract 2010. They roll over with out a peep while the company's FOX system steals >20% of the value from our deviation bank. But things are getting better.
Contract Enforcement has woken up from their 2 year nap and are actually filing grievances. At least one of the block representatives that thought sending his "subjects" on a 90 day involuntary assignment was a "good deal" is gone.
Here is the bottomline. Don't expect to much out of "your" union until you are in the top third of the seniority list. You will be much less likely to be disappointed. But flying DPs does not
stick it to the union it sticks it to the guys in the lower two thirds of the senority list. The system does work, I have seen some really crap boeing trips get fixed in the last couple of years.