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Old 01-05-2010 | 06:40 AM
  #23446  
Sink r8
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Originally Posted by acl65pilot
The AE process is very liberal by design.

If there were mistakes made, then yes, they will fix them, but they will also have the right to stop the cascading effect by holing a few extra in category.
I don't think so. They have the right to prevent cascading events by creating a a legitimate (i.e. correct) award where they control the total number of pilots that go into a category, or displace. Fine. That doesn't give them the right to avoid solving errors, just because the resolution of errors would cause a cascade. These are two vastly different concepts.
...

Let's play with an example.

Four pilots, in seniority order, A,B,C,D. All are very senior F/O's. The bid only offers two positions: a WB Captain position, and a NB Captain position.
-A, B, D bid WB Captain first, then NB Captain.
-C bids the senior NB Captain position only.
-A & B put several restrictions, all of which are met in the awards.
-D puts no restrictions.

First scenario: the company decides to offer an extra seat in the WB category, because it would suit their purposes, for whatever reason, and not award the position in the NB category.
-A & B are WB Captains.
-C gets nothing.

The company manipulated the total number of people in both categories, but seniority is respected. End of story.

Second scenario: the Company doesn't deviate from the planned number, and awards what was posted: one WB Captain., one NB Captain. Except it makes a mistake: itfails to recognize that A & B's restrictions for WB Captain are met, and only awards D WB Captain, and C NB Captain.
-A complaints.
-B doesn't catch on, and fails to complaint.
-Company moves A to WB Captain category, keeps D there, and carries the overage of 1.

As you can see, failing to complaint means that B gets neither his first, nor his second choice. So, one type of manipulation (changing the total people in a category without discrimination) can affect pilots in general, but correcting errors selectively can affect individual pilots, out of seniority.

My argument: You can't solve A's problem, and ignore B.