DC-10 Excess Bid
07-09-2007 | 07:44 PM
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,889
Likes: 1
I don't read any evil or scheming into this--its just business.
If age 60 changes--a bunch on that list could bid into a captain seat. In the meantime--until they do--SOME of those poor *)&^s got to suck up "power power pumps packs pressure..." again. I wonder if cleaning out some of those guys might be part of the timing. Are you willing to suck up another FE training cycle (and a tough one at that IMHO...harder than FLYING the jet) or just say "heck with it..." and bail.
I don't think the company hates junior pilots. I don't think the company hates senior pilots. The company hates spending a dime more than they need to (okay--that's their job!). If this scares some guys into retiring--company is happy. Old captains burn more sick and DLA than new ones. If this scares a newbie into bidding an FDA (not sure I see than logic, Daniel...but I spot you on this one...) then the company gets what they want.
What I DO see is some of those 90 guys on the DC-10 cannot hold the MD-11 MEM, but can hold the bus. If you buy our union's line that SVT won't happen as it will go senior--these guys get a free shot to another jet--although it stinks to go back to school they won't take a pay cut. On the other hand--if you DO think being at the bottom on the A300 list has some risk--you'll see some guys move to the 727 (wow!) or do ANC.
My take? No conspiracy. They just want to do this now so they can predict the holes and not have to hire one more person than they need this year. Get the "unknown" out of the way and you'll have a better glimpse at your gaps in manning. Inversing folks into SVTs is cheaper than hiring them in. Keep that in mind as you consider your position on the LOA.
If age 60 changes--a bunch on that list could bid into a captain seat. In the meantime--until they do--SOME of those poor *)&^s got to suck up "power power pumps packs pressure..." again. I wonder if cleaning out some of those guys might be part of the timing. Are you willing to suck up another FE training cycle (and a tough one at that IMHO...harder than FLYING the jet) or just say "heck with it..." and bail.
I don't think the company hates junior pilots. I don't think the company hates senior pilots. The company hates spending a dime more than they need to (okay--that's their job!). If this scares some guys into retiring--company is happy. Old captains burn more sick and DLA than new ones. If this scares a newbie into bidding an FDA (not sure I see than logic, Daniel...but I spot you on this one...) then the company gets what they want.
What I DO see is some of those 90 guys on the DC-10 cannot hold the MD-11 MEM, but can hold the bus. If you buy our union's line that SVT won't happen as it will go senior--these guys get a free shot to another jet--although it stinks to go back to school they won't take a pay cut. On the other hand--if you DO think being at the bottom on the A300 list has some risk--you'll see some guys move to the 727 (wow!) or do ANC.
My take? No conspiracy. They just want to do this now so they can predict the holes and not have to hire one more person than they need this year. Get the "unknown" out of the way and you'll have a better glimpse at your gaps in manning. Inversing folks into SVTs is cheaper than hiring them in. Keep that in mind as you consider your position on the LOA.
07-09-2007 | 09:58 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,068
Likes: 0
Albie,
I wasn't trying to say that the excess bid will get junior crewmembers to bid the FDA, in fact one of the questions I keep asking Rowdy1 is what in the current CBA or LOA will actually force people to bid the FDA's. However when you've got union and company hinting that voting this thing down will lead to someone else doing the flying and claims of being 500 pilots fat, an excess bid may just get your attention if you are one of those pilots. It may even be just enough evidence a more senior type who tends to just skim over and tacitly approve what his/her MEC puts out. How many people total really sit down read the CBA, the LOA and think all of this through vs. doing what the MEC recommends? To me it's the 'lowest common denominator' factor and this excess bid plays right into it.
I wasn't trying to say that the excess bid will get junior crewmembers to bid the FDA, in fact one of the questions I keep asking Rowdy1 is what in the current CBA or LOA will actually force people to bid the FDA's. However when you've got union and company hinting that voting this thing down will lead to someone else doing the flying and claims of being 500 pilots fat, an excess bid may just get your attention if you are one of those pilots. It may even be just enough evidence a more senior type who tends to just skim over and tacitly approve what his/her MEC puts out. How many people total really sit down read the CBA, the LOA and think all of this through vs. doing what the MEC recommends? To me it's the 'lowest common denominator' factor and this excess bid plays right into it.
07-10-2007 | 04:31 AM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 732
Likes: 0
Albie,
I wasn't trying to say that the excess bid will get junior crewmembers to bid the FDA, in fact one of the questions I keep asking Rowdy1 is what in the current CBA or LOA will actually force people to bid the FDA's. However when you've got union and company hinting that voting this thing down will lead to someone else doing the flying and claims of being 500 pilots fat, an excess bid may just get your attention if you are one of those pilots. It may even be just enough evidence a more senior type who tends to just skim over and tacitly approve what his/her MEC puts out. How many people total really sit down read the CBA, the LOA and think all of this through vs. doing what the MEC recommends? To me it's the 'lowest common denominator' factor and this excess bid plays right into it.
I wasn't trying to say that the excess bid will get junior crewmembers to bid the FDA, in fact one of the questions I keep asking Rowdy1 is what in the current CBA or LOA will actually force people to bid the FDA's. However when you've got union and company hinting that voting this thing down will lead to someone else doing the flying and claims of being 500 pilots fat, an excess bid may just get your attention if you are one of those pilots. It may even be just enough evidence a more senior type who tends to just skim over and tacitly approve what his/her MEC puts out. How many people total really sit down read the CBA, the LOA and think all of this through vs. doing what the MEC recommends? To me it's the 'lowest common denominator' factor and this excess bid plays right into it.
1. The Company certainly did not hire too many, in order to bring on even internal hires, vacancy's must exist.
2. The fact that trips that will drop for sick can now be seen in Open Time is causing any decent trip to be picked up under some kind of make-up rather than falling through to the reserves. The reserve utilization also has improved with the new A+ and B+.
3. The biggest factor, THE OPTOMIZER, they are crunching more flying into LESS Credit Hours. Take a look at the A300 Bid Pack for August and you will see the future. The Company is quickly bringing block time closer to CH's. We need to be ever cautious of the junk pairings being built. The MD11 International trips are looking more and more junior every month. They are saving 20-30 lines of flying in each MEM Aircraft.
I realize most of us know this already, but we are not FAT, they are going to have a huge training push soon and they will eat up that "FAT" quickly. Even more so if we find a way to change the downward slide of pairing design. We all know the only way for this to happen, right ?
One final thought. If we have 500 extra pilots, why in the heck are the MEM MD11 Captains still flying 30-40 lines of RFO. The Manager responsible for that should be fired, if this "FAT" truly existed.
