FR8Hauler

Let's just keep cancelling and rescheduling bids until we get the desired results. Meanwhile what is ALPA doing about it except saying it "looks like this is is within the contract?" What about all the guys who had upgrade bids that now are cancelled so the geriatrics can come back? What about all of the "purple nuggets" who were never told they were seat locked but now are? This is such a crock of $hit, and I am not even upset with the company because I think they are doing a much better job at damage control and putting out info than ALPA is. DW and the rest of the hierarchy when do you announce your big move to ALPA national? "Ya all" better get with the program or you are going to actually going to have to fly the line again.

Open Mind

Sorry to disagree but the Sig definitely objected to the use to Capt's as RFO in any situation. I immediately spoke with many union officer's and was told that this was the union's position which had the support of the entire membership... I guess I didn't count!!! Possibly, other's can recall the communication's from the Sig and the system cp. Also, when the company decided to use Capt's as RFO in a 3 man crew because of a shortage of fos at the time, there was a note in the bid pack stating that they would only do so in a three man crew so as not to go against union objections in a 4 man crew which were most strenuous.

Falconjet

So your hostility toward the SIG must be the reason why you figure its ok to fly DPs?

FJ

Open Mind

I'm a member of ALPA as I assume you are... I evaluate every decision of the MEC and its representatives and committees. I don't hold any part of the union as above criticism as many here seem to hold the SIG. They work hard for us as do the MEC officers but no one here seems relucant to hold the MEC accountable for its decisions. The entire DP program has been a mess from the very beginning and has never been supported by the crew force. Recently our pairing are on a steep decline but we waste time disputing IND-STN-CDG and CDG-STN-MEM in both cases for the RFO, while same duty time deadheads are ruining the quality of all bid packs both domestic and intl. The airbridge contract expired and the company is used our jumpseats out of Subic rather than ground trans to Manila. At the end of pairings...where is the operational necessity??? The contract only allows company jumpseat for operational necessity, where is the objection/ grievance?? The message line I read was very cordial and didn't mention the clear contract violation. However... to answer your question, I'm not hostile toward the SIG. I expect all divisions of "our" union to do the jobs they were elected or appointed to do.

Ranger

To paraphrase John Wayne in "McClintock", "Just for the tally books....."

Are you flying disputed pairings?

Oceanside11

So you're not hostile toward the SIG, but the big question still remains. Do you think it's OK to fly DPs?

You read my mind Ranger...I was just too slow on the draw. Sorry for the double post.

MaydayMark

Wow ... I can hardly believe I'm agreeing with "Open Mind" (although I still don't think it's OK for her to fly DP's!). Several years ago NW ALPA had a policy that ALL RFO's should be Capts. The logic? This would require more wide-body Capts and that more wide-body Capts was a good thing for everybody on the seniority list! I really think FedEx ALPA missed the boat on this issue (not wanting RF2 pairings?) but I can say that about most of FedEx ALPA's decisions the past few years


Mark

jagplt

hmmmm... makes ya wonder what the real word is on this.

are we for it or against it? I haven't been told yet.

FR8Hauler

This was one of the stupidest things we have done. The company wanted to use two full crews with the extra captain included. We fought it and now have three FO's onboard. That probably equates to about 50 extra MD-11 captain slots lost. Nobody asked my opinion about it either...Once again ALPA decided what was good for me. Some of the captain rfo trips were great deals.

FR8Hauler

Or John Wayne as Sgt. Stryker in "The Sands of Iwo Jima" , "Life is tough, but it is tougher if you're stupid."