FDX O-hub turn meeting
 

Here are my notes on Today's hub meeting in the PM. Pardon the ramble...I really should take notes.

Swine Flu...Blah Blah Blah...we are using every precaution. See the Alpa email.

Apologized for "mano e mano", said he intended to mean as brothers it's a Cuban translation thing.

Bid in May CDG with 40-45 in both seats maybe a cleanup for FO HKG.

Lots of time about 4a2b. Said we were 800-1000 over without, with we are 300 overmanned. No furlough. 48 CH BLG is a myth, their target is 62.

300+ over 60 guys flying.

Big discussion about carryover CAP. They said the company wants it. He was really pushed here regarding what the union says and what they were saying. Basically, he said a cap is what he and the company would like to implement and the effect would be about 90 pilots worth which sounds too low but without numbers on hand hard to call him out.

Heated questions about x pairings that are greater then the monthly BLG. I thought he tried to hid behind some contractual rule regarding trips within 96 hours don't have to fall within the same rules or something similar. Not at all sure what he was getting at since many of the x paring have been weeks away.

777 and RLA. Said the cancel of the next 30 777s is in the contract with Boeing and will trip if the legislation passes.

Tried to make a main point about fairness regarding punishment. Basically if pilot X is given a letter for missing a trip then the same punishment should apply for pilot y. Got on his soap box about "I will not lie, steal or cheat" I expected to hear the rest of the quote. The issue was guys lying on their expense reports. Said they haven't hired a PI, they are using ramp video tape to catch guys. Which actually, seemed like an even dumber answer. So, after we file our vouchers you now go through hours of video tape to see who dropped us off at the ramp?? What if we went to the terminal? His whole point here seemed to be off when he tried to sell that piece of stupidity. Just the idea that they are keeping ramp security tapes to see who drops you off is very funny.

Something about the ASAP program. Somehow Alpa and the company can't agree to use an FAA template? I lost some of that conversation.

Showed a slide showing pretty decent domestic and international drops in shipping. Also, a reserve utilization slide that was interesting.

Long discussion about staging vs business on jumpseats. Said they would have to look long and hard about not punishing someone who missed a flight while business jumpseating. (No harm no foul) Issue was crewmembers bumping other staging crewmembers by booking business to get a higher priority. Probably needs to be thrown back to the jumpseat committee.

Apx 3 retirements per month

Said MD11 in HKG still in "his" long term goal.

Had to leave.

Kwir10s,

Thanks for the timely and informative post. If nothing else, it helps keep me abreasts :D of the goings-on.

JJ

What was interesting about the reserve utilization slide? I am getting used almost every day this month.

Very very obvious our SCP doesn't know the Contract.....can't bump a stager w/Buss. If Co. wants CAP system, why didn't they take it during recent Negotiations? Co. message about swine flu disengenuous, CDC published strong warning against all but most essential travel to Mexico. Co. said no CDC warnings........(look their lips are moving again!!!!). Ramptape to catch expense report fraud.....!!!!!!! TGTBSM:confused:......I swear you could not make this stuff up..........:rolleyes:

I like the "No furlough" part. :D

The slide was a comparison to programmed reserve utilization to actual utilization. They are programing around 35% while excepting during peak they are only running around 27-30% utilization rate. I would have thought it was much higher in the last 4-5 months, but it was not. He didn't go into much explanation of assumptions on the rate of utilization so it was only a snap look at what he said was happening. Just thought we would be much higher and we are still right around historic. For the 11 this month on R-24 FO, the low leveling on my last day was 39 hours and the high was over 80. The low guys still had numerous days left to sit, so I found the 30% on the slide unexpected.

RB the low guy is high 30's and the high guy is high 60's. 38/75 is 50%.

I was bumped as a stager when the aircraft was changed to one with fewer seats. Jumpseat admin admitted that they bumped the stagers and kept the business jumpseaters because of higher priority.

I've been bumped as a stager as well.

I've been bumped as a stager as well.

There was an unscrupulous individual up here in the Northwest on the MD pulling R24. He was listing himself every single day of his reserve block as business class "just in case" he got called to ensure that he had a seat to get to work. If he wasn't called out, he'd simply cancel his seat that evening. But in doing so, (if the plane was full), he was bumping the last guy who had listed himself as staging. By the time this idiot decided to cancel his seat, the poor "staging" guy had to jumpseat off-line or call in sick because there was no other way to get to Memphis before the showtime of his next trip. Completely Unsat.