FDX_ Bot Blocker Program FCIF
10-31-2008 | 01:08 PM
#31
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 318
Likes: 0
Snap
I don't use the programs either.
I'm junior - probably way junior to you because I'm based in ANC.
ANC FOs don't have any more open time/draft/volunteer than MEM or LAX does these days.
3-4 years ago was a totally different world here at FedEx (in case you hadn't noticed) - reserves aren't flying, there's no draft/volunteer, we're "overmanned" not undermanned (like we were 3-4 years ago), the flying hours have been reduced across the board.
Guys 4-5 years junior to you holding "better schedules" than you is all relative - "one man's trash is another man's treasure" - maybe they're bidding VTOs and getting the "good trips" that much more senior guys drop for vacation?? - there's a MILLION different ways to explain why those guys 4-5 years junior to you are holding "better schedules" - bot programs might be one of the reasons.
Right now, with limited open time to work with, EVERYONE has to be more creative as to adjusting schedules for quality of life. There is no more draft/volunteer.
As for "flying extra at straight time" - as everyone on here likes to phrase it........let me ask you this.........how can someone pick up an "extra trip" unless they first dropped a trip to put hours in their makeup bank in the first place?
answer - they can't!!
so, if someone is flying an extra 5 days this month at "straight time" - he must have NOT FLOWN (ie. didn't get paid) for 5 days of flying in a previous month in order to be able to pick up a trip from makeup - right?
so, no one is actually flying "extra" - right?
they're just DEFERRING their flying from one month to the next at the same "straight pay" they would have gotten in the first place.
say it with me.......no one is flying extra at straight pay..........guys using hours from their makeup bank is NOT what's causing the lack of draft/volunteer........so get over that too.
and if you're more worried about golfing.......go golf......and don't worry about who picks up what out of open time. use your seniority for what it was intended and bid a "good schedule" to begin with, and forget about changing it with open time trips.
golfing is much more fun than sitting at your computerr watching open time anyway.......
I'm junior - probably way junior to you because I'm based in ANC.
ANC FOs don't have any more open time/draft/volunteer than MEM or LAX does these days.
3-4 years ago was a totally different world here at FedEx (in case you hadn't noticed) - reserves aren't flying, there's no draft/volunteer, we're "overmanned" not undermanned (like we were 3-4 years ago), the flying hours have been reduced across the board.
Guys 4-5 years junior to you holding "better schedules" than you is all relative - "one man's trash is another man's treasure" - maybe they're bidding VTOs and getting the "good trips" that much more senior guys drop for vacation?? - there's a MILLION different ways to explain why those guys 4-5 years junior to you are holding "better schedules" - bot programs might be one of the reasons.
Right now, with limited open time to work with, EVERYONE has to be more creative as to adjusting schedules for quality of life. There is no more draft/volunteer.
As for "flying extra at straight time" - as everyone on here likes to phrase it........let me ask you this.........how can someone pick up an "extra trip" unless they first dropped a trip to put hours in their makeup bank in the first place?
answer - they can't!!
so, if someone is flying an extra 5 days this month at "straight time" - he must have NOT FLOWN (ie. didn't get paid) for 5 days of flying in a previous month in order to be able to pick up a trip from makeup - right?
so, no one is actually flying "extra" - right?
they're just DEFERRING their flying from one month to the next at the same "straight pay" they would have gotten in the first place.
say it with me.......no one is flying extra at straight pay..........guys using hours from their makeup bank is NOT what's causing the lack of draft/volunteer........so get over that too.
and if you're more worried about golfing.......go golf......and don't worry about who picks up what out of open time. use your seniority for what it was intended and bid a "good schedule" to begin with, and forget about changing it with open time trips.
golfing is much more fun than sitting at your computerr watching open time anyway.......
If you are a junior guy in ANC, then you won the lottery and never did any time in the back of the slave ship like the majority of us. good for you, I'm happy for you. But if you are "CBing" me (to coin a phrase from an earlier post) that's where I have the problem.
Yes we are overmanned, but open time is being scarfed up at record rates. Way faster than I've ever seen it. Something needs to be done to fix it in my opinion. Most guys who are junior are there by choice, and if your schedule sucks because of it I'm not real sympathetic.
10-31-2008 | 01:40 PM
#33
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,642
Likes: 0
From: A300/310 Capt
You need to research the myriad ways that hours get added to the makup bank. Dropped trips are by no means the most common way. The majority usually comes from carry-in conflicts, training conflicts (i.e. you can't be on duty in two places at once), and min days off protection (i.e. I want my days off to still be days off). When those are the hours that populate the makeup bank, then, yes, when you do makeup, you're working overtime at straight pay.
I believe other contributing factors to the no makeup problem has to do with open time being more visible than it was with the last contract. You used to only see trips that were open more than two days into the future. Also, the fear of blg's being reduced, or possible excesses to lesser paying seats are causing some pilots to hoard all of the flying that they can currently get, before their pay goes down.
I wonder if the company tracks the amount of makeup in the entire crew members banks. At some point, you would think it would dry up, thus making us a little less overmanned.
Last edited by fedupbusdriver; 10-31-2008 at 01:50 PM.
10-31-2008 | 01:43 PM
#34
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
From: Row well and live...
So we're back to an even playing field for OT, and Fred saves some bandwidth (which may explain why VIPS had the "VIPS currently unavailable" message in the middle of the afternoon this week).
There are still plenty of good deals out there based on seniority, or if you're one of the chosen planet bubbas (i.e.--check the charter schedule, or the management recycling carousel.)
Evens things up for all. We'll live.
There are still plenty of good deals out there based on seniority, or if you're one of the chosen planet bubbas (i.e.--check the charter schedule, or the management recycling carousel.)
Evens things up for all. We'll live.
10-31-2008 | 01:53 PM
#35
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Jolly,
I don't have the bot program. But I am not whining about those that do. If someone has a huge amount of makeup, they obviously dropped trips in order to have that bank. They will eventually run out of makeup time. I have been time stamped more than most, but such is life. While flying some of the charter flights would be nice, I refuse to be a slave to open time and will take the good with the bad.
If your schedule is terrible and you are envious of those that are junior, you should have used the program or checked open time more often. If you want to spend all of your time on the links, good for you (that is where I will be as well) but don't complain because some junior guy beat you to the open time trip.
You might have spent some time plumbing but a lot of guys spent time on furlough from other carriers. We all earned our place here, you aren't the only one that had to work an entry level job.
I don't have the bot program. But I am not whining about those that do. If someone has a huge amount of makeup, they obviously dropped trips in order to have that bank. They will eventually run out of makeup time. I have been time stamped more than most, but such is life. While flying some of the charter flights would be nice, I refuse to be a slave to open time and will take the good with the bad.
If your schedule is terrible and you are envious of those that are junior, you should have used the program or checked open time more often. If you want to spend all of your time on the links, good for you (that is where I will be as well) but don't complain because some junior guy beat you to the open time trip.
You might have spent some time plumbing but a lot of guys spent time on furlough from other carriers. We all earned our place here, you aren't the only one that had to work an entry level job.
10-31-2008 | 01:58 PM
#36
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,931
Likes: 0
I'm glad it didn't go to a seniority based open time. Seniority already confers all the grand benefits it should.
10-31-2008 | 02:05 PM
#37
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,931
Likes: 0
If we further restrict how much folks pick up we WILL lose our ability to adjust our schedule by dropping. That is the dark side of the no pick up plan. Don't even mention the instant furloughs in a down economy. That way of life is just waiting for us if we try to become like other airlines.
Last edited by Gunter; 10-31-2008 at 02:25 PM.
10-31-2008 | 02:35 PM
#38
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
From: MD
Jolly,
Oh, I see since he's on the MD-11 in ANC he got a good deal and did'nt pay his due's. How do U know he didnt spend 4 years on the back of the 727 somewhere else working his tail off!! He won the lottery after meeting the qualifications and passing the interview to get hired here. You have lost much of your credibility with that comment.
Oh, I see since he's on the MD-11 in ANC he got a good deal and did'nt pay his due's. How do U know he didnt spend 4 years on the back of the 727 somewhere else working his tail off!! He won the lottery after meeting the qualifications and passing the interview to get hired here. You have lost much of your credibility with that comment.
10-31-2008 | 02:44 PM
#39
New Hire
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Irregardless on anyones position on this matter, we cannot allow the company to unilaterally change the contract: (Note there is nothing here about frequency only that you will have access. If the company is getting "bogged" down, its their problem, buy a bigger server. Google handles millions of request per minute. Im sure people track packages at a higher frequency than what 4000 fedex pilots can do. If someone is to get locked out what would prevent them from filing a grievance? Except the union that is.)
6. A pilot shall be provided access to the Company's computer systems and data in order to view:
a. all bid awards and trips.
b. information related to open time as follows:
i. in crew positions where the Company is using automated systems for trip assignment and trading (currently DReAM and the automated trip trade system), and such systems are functioning, all open time in the current bid period (and in the next bid period after open time is released) shall be visible in “real time,” except during periods when:
(a) the daily assignment process is taking place.
(b) the system(s) is paused to allow manual processing functions; or
(c) the system(s) affecting open time administration is not running due to system maintenance, upgrades, etc.
ii. in crew positions where such automated system(s) is not functioning, trip pairings more than 40.5 hours prior to showtime shall be visible to pilots accessing the open time interface.
iii. a trip(s) may be frozen to allow assignment by CRS. When a trip is frozen, it will be visible, but displayed in a manner indicating that it is available only to CRS.
6. A pilot shall be provided access to the Company's computer systems and data in order to view:
a. all bid awards and trips.
b. information related to open time as follows:
i. in crew positions where the Company is using automated systems for trip assignment and trading (currently DReAM and the automated trip trade system), and such systems are functioning, all open time in the current bid period (and in the next bid period after open time is released) shall be visible in “real time,” except during periods when:
(a) the daily assignment process is taking place.
(b) the system(s) is paused to allow manual processing functions; or
(c) the system(s) affecting open time administration is not running due to system maintenance, upgrades, etc.
ii. in crew positions where such automated system(s) is not functioning, trip pairings more than 40.5 hours prior to showtime shall be visible to pilots accessing the open time interface.
iii. a trip(s) may be frozen to allow assignment by CRS. When a trip is frozen, it will be visible, but displayed in a manner indicating that it is available only to CRS.
10-31-2008 | 02:50 PM
#40
"blue collar thug"!
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 0
From: A proponent of...
It is probably a moot point. Whatever the Companies "threshold" is for the BOTsters, it will probably be enough for those folks to scarf up the majority of trips. Besides, who wants to work anyway?
