March 29, 2009

This is written by your fellow First Officers. Please read...

As you all know the company is throwing the "F" word at us: Furlough! Your fellow First Officers would like your help. As soon as an airline announces furlough, it is appropriate for pilots to refrain from asking for Open Time, or Overtime. If you’re not one of the 75 pilots desperately hoping for a miracle, please, we ask you to try and remember those days when you were sitting low on the seniority list. We realize that Open Time has been blocked for most days. But some days scheduling unblocks it. If we as a group can refrain from requesting Open Time, it may help keep those First Officers expecting furlough from losing their jobs. We need to do this as a group. If pilots pick up Open Time while others are furloughed, Crew Resources and Crew Scheduling will believe we’re staffed appropriately and their flights will be covered...

Any pilot at American Eagle that says this Furlough will not affect them is not being honest with themselves. It is historical practice at the majors, such as DAL, for pilots to forego accepting OT when their brothers and sisters hit the streets.

Just a few weekends ago, on March 8th, Chicago experienced three days of thunderstorms. Chicago's Embraer First Officer's Reserves were all used except two on March 8th. Today is Sunday, March 29th. Chicago is experiencing a spring snow storm. The reserve lists for ORD EMJ FO, ORD EMJ CA, and ORD CRJ FO has all been used, and ORD CRJ CA's have 4 available...and it's only noon. And we're furloughing?

We can all expect to see an increase in junior manning, Captains flying right seat, and off-duty calls...Never fly fatigued.

DFW and LGA are running out of FOs regularly, and Chicago Reserves are being deadhead to cover the flying. These are the same FOs that were displaced from their base in past months.

From the day you read this until the day they recall back First Officers, please help out your brothers and sisters. Please remember you were once on the bottom of seniority. When open time becomes unblocked please stop yourself from picking up extra pay while Crew Resources is laying off your coworkers. Even consider refraining from picking it up prior to May 1st. Let them consider the idea that we may be staffed sparsely, as March 29th is illustrating.

Everyone is suffering financially right now, but the 75 on the slate are expected to suffer significantly more. They came in at a time when we were short staffed and junior manning was a daily occurrence. Now, their thanks is hitting the streets.

Let that open trip trickle down the system, maybe scheduling will have to fight for that flight to get staffed. Also, on days like today, some pilots may have the interest to earn a little extra pay. Because of today’s weather, it is inevitable that they will start calling pilots on their days off to staff flights. Don't answer your phone.

We need to fight this as a group, The company needs to get the idea we will be short staffed, don't give them any reason otherwise by helping them staff flights when they become short. They just furloughed!!

Your Fellow Eagle First Officers