its in the contract that a reserve pilot cannot be awarded EF if it would disturb his reserve availabilty ie windows, domecile rest, trips already assigned.

OTTO its not scheduling that awards EF its a planning dept. There two seperate depts. Scheduling can award EF only day of i.e. being after 18:00 the day before, however it has to be approved by the management, the schedulers have had that power taken away from them in favor of DS lineholders and scrapping the bottom to get things done.