Originally Posted by
iceman49
Perhaps thats why they are considering a monthly APA system...no more waiting around.
Who is they?
The APA was a good system, and allowed for monthly bids, as well as the company to respond more quickly to market conditions. The current 270/365 conversion cycle is simply not responsive enough to adjust for market forces that can move well within a 6 month cycle. The down side is it allows for position sharpshooting by the company, and if you are near the bottom of any list expect to be bouncing back and forth between requals on any given aircraft on a sometimes semi-annual basis. The good is that bids come out monthly, albeit smaller, that allows to easily shift between bases, as well as the requirement to be trained 3.5 months from the bid award. Freezes mitigated too much movement, but we also had unlimited reinstatement rights if bumped from a position.
All in all it was some good, some bad, but pilots preferred it over the previous system, similar to the current AE. that was abandoned in 98'. It allowed the company to be more nimble both in responding to market conditions as well as metering training loads.
FWIW, the old PWA language that covered it:
24. E. Awarding of Permanent Position Vacancies
E.1. The bid of each pilot for a permanent position shall be that indicated on his EPL.
E.2. Awarding of all permanent positions shall be made in accordance with system seniority from the EPLs and shall be published no later than the 20th calendar day of each month.
E.2.a. The effective date of the award to a permanent position vacancy shall be the first day of the fourth ensuing bid period (e.g., awards made in July will be effective on the first day of the November flying month). A pilot shall hold the permanent position as of the effective date of the permanent position award.
E.2.b. When an award is made requiring initial qualification training, the pilot shall commence flying in such category as of the completion of training (see Section 25 A.6.a., Section 24 J.1.a. Exception and Section 24 E.2.c). However, a pilot who:
(i) has not completed initial qualification training within one month after the effective date of the award, or
(ii) has not completed initial qualification training by the effective date of the award when such pilot is involuntarily displaced pursuant to Section 24 G. from a position in which he was not initially qualified,
for a reason other than the unavailability of the pilot (including his unavailability because he does not hold the required FAA medical certificate or because he has not successfully completed the written portion of the FAA flight engineer examination or the written portion of the FAA air transport rating examination), or act of nature, or withdrawal of an aircraft type from service or work stoppage directly affecting training or other circumstance agreed to between the Vice President of Flight Operations and the MEC Chairman as being beyond the Company’s control:
E.2.b.(1) Shall not fly in any other position as a temporary or call-out/down pilot until his initial qualification training is completed. If the first day of the second month falls during a pilot’s trip hour period, he will be paid in the awarded category effective on such day, but he will not be assigned to the awarded position until completion of his trip and will not be rescheduled to return to his base later than originally scheduled.
E.2.b.(2) Shall be deemed to be a reserve pilot in his awarded position for the balance of the bid period in which his training is completed, subject to his selection as a call-down pilot in accordance with Section 24 J.2.d.