Originally Posted by
CALFO
Not sure this is accurate. CAL is currently taking aircraft delivers and according to our contract as well as the JCBA, the additional block hours from those deliveries need to go to the CAL pilots until seniority is integrated.
As I recall, the UAL side has protection at 90% of block hours and that will fall to 0% on January 1, 2012. As I understand it, management could reduce UAL flying/airframes while as the same time increasing the CAL side.
By the way, while this certainly favors the CAL pilots, I don't believe that anyone on the CAL side is hoping for such a scenario to play out.
CAL could take delivery and decrease utilization, if it has more block hours than it can fly for its current staffing. Then, increase block hours/utilization on the UAL side. I've read the TTA over and over and don't see any obstacles to this. We are really talking a couple % adjustment in block hours in both sides, it is noise in the scheme of the entire operation, but, if there is a mismatch between capacity and manpower, it is one way to balance the two. Both managements created this disparity in preparation for the merger.
My whole point is that even while separated, there is no reason the company can't offer a furloughed UAL pilot the option to come back to EITHER side, if they need pilots overall. Perhaps, with the delay of the 787, we are not at the point of needing ANY recalls overall. So be it. However, anything short of comprehensive solution is just more whip-sawing and harmful to all of us in the end. While a JCBA/SLI is the ultimately goal, there is potentially a lot time left on the clock.
KC