FlybyKnite

If you didn't specifically request it, then it's time to make a phone call to contract enforcement and the SIG/PSIT!!
It may be too late to get any relief from scheduling, but at least the undesirable event/violation will be noted for remedial action.

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cma2407

I'm sure. I did not request a DP. No chance. Time to make some calls. Back soon...

2cylinderdriver

ALL MEM MD11 Disputes gobbled up like a kid on a Halloween night binge ! GOOD JOB

Funny, only one FO had an employee number under 400000, most over 500000. YOUR LACK OF SENIORITY IS NO EXCUSE TO FLY DISPUTES ! Quite the opposite actually, all you are doing is ensuring when you ARE SENIOR SOMEDAY, there will be no good pairings left...

Don't get me started on the Captain seat, maybe a CA can pen a tirade on them !

ancreserve

The simple answer is because it is in the contract: Specifically Sect 25.BB.E.1.

The SIG may use the pairing dispute procedure described in this paragraph only to dispute new pairings. A “new” pairing is one which is materially different from the way the pairing was constructed in the three previous bid periods. A pairing is not new if it has been built and flown materially the same way without challenge for three consecutive bid periods after 5/31/1999.

So all that old dog crap that we fly every month-the SIG can't touch it. But if the company brings in some new fangled fatigue ridden trip the SIG can dispute it. Now if our fellow pilots say "hey this trip ain't as bad of some of the stuff we fly" and go and fly the disputed pairings, then they weaken the SIG position. The SIG will most likely lose or have to drop their disputed position on said pairing. So this ugly new pairing that may not be as bad of some of the "usual crap" will now be added to the "usual crap" until you die or retire. Can you see how this can turn into a snow ball running down a hill?

That being said we as a pilot group can do something about the usual crapping pairings - we can put them in open time or if you are fatigued (which Fedex pilots almost never are)while operating the trip you can call in fatigued.

As this is rather unlikely to happen I encourage my fellow pilots to support the SIG and not fly the disputed pairings. The SIG volunteers have our collected interest at heart and spend dozens of their free hours month in and month out for our benefit.

cma2407

OK...so here is the rundown on the DP's--or I should say, SOME of the DP's assigned to secondary line holders. Props to FDX'er for posting the actual contract language stating the scheduling procedures.

Evidently there is a recent agreement that precludes assigning DP's to secondary line holders that do not specifically request a DP by number. It happened several months ago, and supposedly has been "fixed" by mutual agreement. We as a group should not be seeing this in the future.

There will be a letter put out by the union shortly with a rundown of the details.

MD11Fr8Dog

So, will that mean you will or won't have to fly that pairing?

FlybyKnite

?? A recent agreement ?? Several months ago ??

That explanation absolutely, positively does not pass the smell test for 2 reasons.

1. The last contract is not a recent agreement (and this isn't a new issue).
2. The text of that paragraph has not changed appreciably from when it was part of the SIG LOA to the last contract (it did change, but actually got a little better).

Last CBA: SIG LOA Para E.5.a:
a. If the number of remaining disputed pairings in a particular bid pack does not exceed 5% of the total number of pairings in that bid pack, the disputed pairings shall not be included on bid lines without SIG approval. Such pairings shall appear in open time and shall be available for ordinary open time assignment or for placement on a VTO line if specifically requested by a pilot holding a VTO line.

Present CBA: Sec 25.BB.E.5.a
a. If the number of remaining disputed pairings in a particular bid pack does not exceed 5% of the total number of pairings in that bid pack, the disputed pairings shall not be included on bid lines without SIG approval. Such pairings shall appear in open time and shall be available for ordinary open time assignment or for placement on a VTO or custom line if specifically requested by a pilot holding such line.

Bottom Line: what is scheduling going to do for you as remediation, since they didn't do it right the first time? (think I already know the answer: fly it or do SUB)

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Haywood JB

If you get assigned a DP on a secondary line, call the union. They will check to make sure you didn't request it, then you should get compensated for it, if you can't trade out of it, or flat out drop it.

HJ

MD11Fr8Dog

I got a phone call from an old friend on Thursday. During that call, he explained his reasonings for picking up those DPs and they had nothing to do with "DPing his way back into management" as I jokingly speculated in another posting. Far from that as far as I can tell from a 45 min phone call! He was simply and plainly ignorant to the whole DP process.

Egad, you say. How does someone that has been here as long as he has, and certainly longer than we have had a PSIT/SIG/DP process, not know about DPs? His explanation, and after a lengthy phone call I believe him, was that while he was in his former management position he just fully immersed himself in that job and literally has had union issues and correspondence tuned out for a number years. Plausible, since we have non-management guys like that.

Others may not give him a pass on this, and I don't exactly give him a pass either, but right or wrong, I do believe that to be the case and he just didn't know about DPs. With that said, I still kinda raked him over the coals for not knowing something he should, and he agreed with me that it was gross ignorance on his part and he should have known. He also told me that had he known about the DP process he would not have picked up those pairings, and that in the future he will be more careful and we will not ever see him pick up another DP. You may not believe him, and that is your right, but I have known him for 28 yrs, and I do. I have a feeling that he is going to be a strong advocate of the PSIT/SIG from here on out. Better late than never?

I probably should have made the phone call myself a couple weeks ago, but for other issues I had, I did not. I had a few other minor issues, and others may as well and that is for them to resolve, but as far as I'm concerned, its all water under the bridge and I'm looking forward to calling an old bubba a bubba again!

Oh yea, you may also notice that his calendar is unblocked.

USMCFDX

Well I haven't know him for 28 years, but I'm calling bullsht on this one.