[quote=bored;552256]Uh... MANY of the saab CAs were previously downgraded captains that took the first opportunity to upgrade. Many of us were under the impression that we were not under seatlock, because we had already upgraded and forced back to FO and were merely returning to our original position. There was a grievance on the issue. All the others, yes, knew there was a seatlock. Just like we all knew there was READY RESERVE in the contract (right avroman) and shouldn't be complaining about it. In the end, there wouldn't have been enough qualified FOs to staff the 900 left seats, so saab CA seatlocks would have been released anyhow. The argument is a moot point.
The issue between being a saab CA or a jet CA has nothing to do with flying skills. It has everything to do with being in charge of more than twice the amount of people. It's about the role of the CA and all the other responsibilities that go into it. It's far more than a pay raise and occupying the left seat... which many quick upgraded FOs are learning right now, if they made it through upgrade training.
Yes, the company has to pay for their decision of the released seatlocks. But you have to remember they staffed the way they did knowing we would be getting 15 more 900s. They didn't do this knowing DL would pull the rug out from under us and stop the deliveries at 5. Everything was planned on actually getting these planes, so to look back and complain about the decision the company made isn't practical. We should be glad that they company actually had the foresight to be proactive in staffing and what they were doing AT THE TIME when we were on track for these planes made complete sense. Glitches like what we're experiencing happen all the time. The end game is how they deal with it and it certainly looks to me like they're doing everything in the contract and MORE to mitigate involuntary furloughs.[/quote]
1. I agree that the reinstatement rights guys got the screwjob and had every right to grieve being locked out of the option to go to the jets. The guys that just simply took the first upgrade, they had thier choice,then got the benefit of changing the rules halfway through.
2. True, it was left in there even though it hadn't been used until after 9-11. It SHOULD have been removed from the contract in 2003. That ship sailed, without it being done however, again it didn't seem like an issue since the company didn't ever use them again until this past year. Nobody had any expectation of them being used, otherwise I can guarantee people would have chosen different paths. I am not complaining about R.R., but I will be pulling for that to be removed from the contract in 2011 (among several other things that need addressing).
3. The number of people you are flying around does not change your duties as a captain. It makes no difference if you are flying 30 people on the Saab or 70 on the CR9 or 0 on a 727F, you are operating an airplane requiring the same dilligence to your duties. The pay difference has to do with revenue creation not amount of work and care involved in captaining the different planes.
4. It is shocking that for the first time in the history of the company they tried to be proactive about the staffing, even if they managed to have things really goofed up at the beginning. (the whole instructor fiasco on the 900) I applaud them for that even if it has caused the current situation (again partly because of the seatlock issue addressed in my previous post) Hopefully that becomes the normal way of doing things instead of junormanning and cancelling vacations before deciding to hire.
5. Again shocking after how things were dealt with/ company attitude about things during the bankruptcy. Perhaps this is the beginning of seeing the "Delta way" instead of the old Northwest way of continue to kick them harder when they are down ( rememeber the old dumpster diving pamphlet that was given out during the NWA bankruptcy?) I am a bit skeptical of the reason why things are so different in the company's attitude toward mitigating furloughs this time around but I've been furloughed and wouldn't want to see anyone else have to be involuntarily furloughed. A voluntary towop or half month lines are a much better way to go in my opinion.
Ultimately the seatlocks were just about moot anyway. The award that was cancelled would likely have had some 2007 FO's on it anyways. The Saab captains that wanted to go to the jets did, the ones that didn't weren't likely to go on that cancelled award or the one (that would have come after it.) The best we can hope for short term is a good increase in block hours this summer and a minimal impact from PBS starting this fall.... Longer term yes it would be nice to get the remaining allotment of 900's but at this point it can't be counted on.