Yeah I agree. Only the company benefits from PBS. Which is why it was a negotiated in the last contract. The agreement was to have the union "talk to them about it." That's it. Not sure why we bothering to continue talking without coming back all together and renegotiating the entire CBA.

You think Alaska would want PBS if it benefited us? Ask the Menzies folks picketing outside of seatac right now if they care about paying us more...

 

I'm sorry why are we talking about PBS? Yes, I know the union is just doing its due diligence...

You can write the best language (a single committee can think about) around PBS, but in the end we lose flexibility (QOL).

The only way we get or keep flexibility is thru hiring (Reduced "Grayed" Out Days), technology (First and Second Step shouldn't be done by humans but computers), and teeth in the contract for the scheduling committee (more teeth means more members needed as volunteers which means more heads creating better solutions).

This is what I've seen thru my own experience here and while working on committees at other airlines. Don't get rid of the resources we have, fully and properly staff them and enforce it.

Just my two cents...

 

Did I miss something? Did Alaska pilots (not Horizon) actually agree to PBS?

YGBSM.

 

No we did not agree to PBS. We as a pilot group did, through our last contract, agree to explore PBS.

 

Glad to hear that. Never been much of a PBS fan myself, especially after listening to the Alaska F/A's horror stories about it.

If you want an earful, ask them about "unstacking" sometime.

 

Unstacking is nothing more than the company tagging junior in category to cover flying over unpopular days (3 day weekends, holidays, etc). If you have PBS and are junior in category you will cover all the days that senior people don't want to fly, before any of your bid days off is considered.

Compare Xmas schedule for example, my golf buddy is SWA with line bidding. Xmas falls on a wednesday for example, in line bidding senior line holders have to bid a line that works weekends to get xmas off (disregarding vacation over holiday holders).
In PBS, if you are senior, you can manipulate your schedule during the bid to have weekends and xmas off, and the junior folk will get "unstacked" into xmas and any low coverage weekends to make up the slack.
PBS really magnifies the power of seniority.
Everyone may enjoy the occasional ability to avoid an important date in PBS, whereas in line bidding you are already making concessions to get what you need on the outset.
Either way it's good to be senior, but in PBS it's really good to be senior.
YMMV
LUV

 

The Pilot group is crazy if they consider giving the company PBS outside of the next CBA. They want it? They can pay for it. They've made out like Bandits on the backs of the pilots, (FO's primarily) since the Kasher award. I say enough is enough. Quid Pro Quo.

 

If they want PBS they can pay for it. I suggest, at a minimum:

Increase pay at all levels to industry leading
Mimimium 5 hours a day credit for vacation
Increase 401k contribution
Restore pension
Industry leading scope.

That's a good start.

 

Also, training pays 5 hours a day ...

 

Don't forget trips touching training/vacation. That was a big QOL benefit.