Tsquare,

We were faced with a threat of up to 300 furloughs. Everyone was asked to forgo open time (straight pick up) and JA (x1.5) except the bottom 300 (most in the bottom didn't pick up either). At UPS we traditionally man thin and pilots do (did) pick up a lot on their days off. It's a design I believe that works well for UPS. They don't have to hire as many pilots. I truly believe with the history of pilots here, UPS thought we would pick up excess. They counted on their (250 pilot) management group as well. The management group stepped up to the plate and have been flying to FAR mins at times. The pilot group got fed up and didn't pick up.

I honestly think things could have gotten a lot worse in total number of pilots furloughed had it not been for solidarity. I don't think it's hyperbole. We have a strange assortment of flying as well that I think was underestimated. Take a 12-14 day, around the world tour on a 747-400. Cut the staff down to the bone and take a sick call after the first leg in Hong Kong. It might take 2 or 3 reserve pilots to pick up the rest of it.

I think the bean counters at UPS thought they really could save more and at the same time our upper management types could have hostages going into future negotiations. They didn't get the savings but they now have their hostages.

I don't know how it is at DAL for a JA but there are a few circumstances where we are forced into it but for the most part we can say NO. If you can't at DAL you should at least think about not answering the phone.

I thank the senior guys at UPS. Yes they had a contractual right but most saw through UPS'S games. They've seen it before. We also put it in our contract that if we furloughed that the union would have the right to call for an open time ban.[/QUOTE]

Maybe this something that should be fixed on the next contract in terms of how much open time is "available". Delta has the ability to change the Average Line Value on a month to month basis (although there is a contractual restriction on how high the yearly ALV can be) anywhere up to 81 hours. When it gets that high the Line Construction Window (how many hours are put in for a regular line holder) is +/- 7 hours so the company build much higher regular lines without penalty. In addition, reserves remain at a 70 hour guarantee no matter how high the ALV is. I'm not advocating picking up open time with guys on furlough (haven't been here long enough or senior enough to be pushed into making a decision) and I wouldn't pick up open time over the normal line value - but with the high variance in ALV where is a guy picking up overtime - someone who is a regular line holder, the ALV is low (say 72 with the LCW starting at 65), and he is "used" to getting more time on his line. I do agree that a guy boasting about 95-100 hours with guys on furlough needs to look at himself in the mirror - it's not as cut and dried as some would like to make it out to be.