Originally Posted by
HazCan
Ok, here is my morning manifesto and hope for the new contract.
This "soft parameter" /DP ordeal is crazy. We obviously have too many independent contractors out there that gladly pickup these trips. The union has not/will not(?) turn up the heat on the guys that do this. Possibly they cannot due to fear of litigation?
1. In the next contract, this is my hope. The whole process goes away. We move to hard parameters, i.e. the trip is either good or it's not. If it's not, it doesn't get built. Period. End of story. The flexibility that the soft parameters offers seem to benefit the company a lot more than it benefits the crew. ESPECIALLY when we have enough dolts out there that can't keep their grubby hands off of the DPs.
No disputed pairings, no more having to spend time tracking the bozos that fly them, no more having to worry about getting them on reserve, no more getting them on your line three months later (thanks DP flyers!). Then we can move back onto something worthwhile, like complaining about the scooby snacks or the latest puppet tales (or is it tails?).
2. IN THE MEANTIME....I say we take it underground and turn up the heat on the offenders. I like the idea of the DP Flyer Circular. Omit the guys that get them on reserve, super/extra/double fact check the names and pairings and put that sucker out in the crewroom. Something simple like:
"Here is the list of Independent Contractors that flew Disputed Pairings for the month of_______. Please thank them next time you see them on your jumpseat or in the crewlounge."
Haz...out.
Bravo on point 1. Point 2 is great though it will not change anything. IMHO, there 3 type of DP flyers. One, the selfish who care about nobody but themselves. Two, those who see an opportunity to better there schedule. The reality is the DPs are normally OK trips until later when the company yanks away the long layovers and DHs. Three, those who feel that the pairing meets the hard parameters in the contract and ask why is a pairing disputed in the first place. Creating a DP flyer circular is a great idea and will take considerable work on someones part to keep it accurate with drops, trades, etc. The flip side is once these names are on the marquee, what little inhibition these people have to pickup DPs will evaporate, because then what difference does it make.