Originally Posted by
Flight1339
As far as the picking up open time goes, I agree with you. I think it's wrong and completely inconsiderate of your fellow union members on furlough. However its tough for the union to put a stop to it. Telling pilots to not pick up open time is considered a job action just like a strike and doing so now is illegal. I would like to see some pilots group together and talk to the people picking up open time but there is a fine line between a couple guys talking to a buddy and union members gathering to consult another member.
For the record, I am in no way supporting those picking up open time but I think we should be careful. We don't want to ruin our chances of success in negotiations because a few too many people told everyone to stop.
Well said and I agree with you. I also want to add that I am not against picking up open time as long as it doesn't better your line....if you need to move days around I think that is totally fair. I know of one guy who while on reserve likes to pick up trips on his day off and go below min days off. I think that is unacceptable.
My best friend at another airline who also has many many people on furlough thinks it is okay to pick up open time. He claims that by picking up those trips, he is not hurting the company. He says that the rsv pilots are not flying more than 30 hours a month so why shouldn't he get those trips? I told him that if they gave say a 3 day trip worth 20 hours to a rsv...then he would be flying 50 hours and still getting paid for 75. When you, a line pilot picks up open time, you are getting 1.5x your hourly rate which costs the company money because not only do they have to pay the rsv for 75 hours but you for your trip you picked up. He didn't understand that by doing that, he is showing the company that there is no need for more pilots. Most airines, not PDT, when they begin to see the need for more pilots through rsv working a ton and trips going to rsv CA's, might consider bringing people off the street.