I wonder if any you out there can help me with a contract question. I have been excessed from CA In ANC to FO in ANC and I know that there is no freeze when this happen. The question I have is if I now bid the right seat of the 777 am I now frozen? I really don't want to goto a new plane until things are worked out but if I can delay my training (I go the right seat in Dec) then maybe I will not have to go at all.

I have tried to email my LEC and the emails keep getting return and I am in Asia right now so it's hard to call MEM.

Any thoughts?

Noser

 

tough question to answer, but I will try. When/if you bid the 777, it is as a primary vacancy and you are no longer under an "excess" award. You are, like many, trying to push your training date down the road. You will not have a seat lock in my opinion UNTIL you begin training in the B777. If you "downbid" to the B777 and actually begin training before the company posts bids with primary or secondary awards to the seat you would like to stay in (ANC CA) you would be ineligible to be awarded the ANC CA seat unless your seat lock is waived by the VP of Ops. Your ANC CA seat will only become an option when you can hold it on a future bid, the Company can't simply cancel your excess class and leave you in ANC. That only works on cancellations of voluntary bids to other seats (like CDG etc) and you can "retain" the seat you are in because you still have the seniority to keep it.

Our CBA does not have "reinstatement" provisions. The real roll of the dice is hoping to have your class date slid AND be able to re-bid your current seat before training begins. That is the way I read the tea leaves. BTW, I would email the Contract Enforcement Office, your LEC guys will most likely forward it to them anyhow.

Good luck.

 

I'm in the same boat. As I understand it, as long as we haven't started training yet in the F/O seat prior to the close of the 777 bid...the clock is reset to the new training date. Whenever that ends up being. If you have already started training, you're out of luck. But with a Nov/Dec date, this could be an option worth considering...my .02.

Best of luck.

 

Thanks for the input. That's how I read it too but still not sure. Couldn't find an email address for Contract Enforcement that's why I emailed my LEC. I guess I will have to give them a call from KUL when I get in tomorrow morning.

 

[email protected]

There you go!...Got it by clicking on "FedEx Alpa Contact Information" in the Quick Links on the left side of the FDX ALPA page.

 

I must be tired, I looked and couldn't find it. Thanks

 

I don't know why but every email I send to ALPA comes back.

 

Perhaps their mailboxes are full because the paid staff rarely answer them??

 

Noser, there are probably one hundred guys in your boat. Me included. We are playing poker against the company, and they can see our hand. But the question is, "Do you feel lucky punk, well do ya?" - Dirty Harry

 

E. Other Crew Position Award Procedures

1. Down/Lateral Bid Freezes and Restrictions

a. Down/Lateral Bid

A down/lateral bid is an award of a different crew status that
is compensated at an hourly rate less than or equal to the
hourly rate for the pilot’s current crew status.

b. Down/Lateral Bid Restriction

Unless waived by the Vice President, Flight Operations, or
his designee, a pilot may not receive a permanent vacancy
award based on a down/lateral bid unless he has been in
his current crew status for at least 18 months.

c. Down/Lateral Bid Freeze

A pilot who is activated in a crew status that requires ITU
training based on a down/lateral bid shall be frozen in that crew
status for 24 months, commencing on his actual activation
date. A pilot is not eligible for a permanent crew position award
requiring ITU training with a projected training date during that
freeze period except under the following conditions:

i. the pilot was excessed or down/lateral bid to relieve an
excess; or

ii. the pilot down bid because of legal restrictions