Originally Posted by
Rock
Can you provide the contract reference that says you have 30 minutes to refuse a RAT trip after notification? Some things exist in our FedEx lives that are done based on past precedent. “Agreements” that aren’t codified by the CBA but accepted. If every single thing we did on a daily basis had a contractual reference the contract would be more unmanageable than it already is. If I were the only person moving themselves from business class to first class on a scheduled mid trip deadhead without deviating, I’d slap my own hand and learn a tough lesson. After a couple decades at FedEx, I’ve got a pretty good handle on daily ops. Do you think ALPA published recent warnings about this because one or two guys recently decided to try something new? Or is it because the company changed how it does things and now a bunch of guys are getting bit in the ass?
To answer your first question, try section 25.H.6. Since I don't know the details, giving you 30 minutes to decide could be doing you a favor. The issues we are talking about are codified by the CBA. There is a section on higher class of service eligibility as well as mid trip deviations. I asked if you had written documentation saying you could do this without approval to help. However, if there isn't anything documented stating that the company said that you could do this, then the CBA is the default. I flew international for a very long time and never heard of anyone upgrading a deadhead ticket without having to pay the difference themselves. Again, there is a form for that. My guess is it did happen some in the past, but went under the radar. Then a lot of guys started doing it and it got someones attention. They then informed the expense report audit people of the error, and now it is an issue.
If pilots really feel that they are getting screwed, they should grieve it. The union doesn't have to agree to grieve it, you can do it on your own. Again, unless there is something in the CBA or other written documentation stating that you can use deviation bank money to upgrade a scheduled deadhead ticket to a higher class of service than is required, then I think it is a losing case. JMO.
