4a2b Gone Wild
 

I am sorry, but it only gets worse. I don't begrudge the Hong Kong Bus or the MEM 757 boys anything. But this 20+ hour spread in BLG each month is simply unjustifiable on the companies part.

Secondary Line Max's just published:

HKG 300 CA 99:03
MEM 757 CA 98:19

MEM 727 CA 73:59 !!

Just business I guess :mad:

Exactly right. Pure business = pure cost-cutting, the real reason for 4A2B. They could bring the HKG 300 BLGs down and the MEM 300 BLGs up by doing SIBA, but of course they won't because it is cheaper to do what they are doing.

This should be huge ammunition for arbitration, but I'm not holding my breath.

I am pleased to give gunter something to talk about.

When looking at the spread in BLGs don't forget to add in the carry over hours. We don't think about it, but the carry over hours are just as much a part of guarantee as BLG. And right now the Capt hard lines in HKG are guaranteed an average of 120 hours. Good thing we have the max 13 hour split in the CBA.

I can't believe the MEC allowed this. Any reduction in BLG should have been coupled with a cap. Otherwise it isn't a tool to prevent furloughs at all, it merely becomes a tool of management to reduce costs and further divide the pilot group. What were they thinking????

Just remember it's the company doing this to us. 25 hrs of credit difference and even more when you count carryover. Only because they refuse to manage training properly. There is no way you can justify this if you have a conscience.

It's up to the arbitrator to stop them from driving recklessly like this.

Furlough? May have been a threat before but it isn't now. Unless the economy soils itself again before the recovery takes hold. Don't forget that the SCP is talking about hiring. ;)

I too get confused sometimes. I think it's the temporary minimum guarantee cuts FDX imposed on their pilots to prevent furloughs... I remember that the expat package y'all got in Hong Kong wasn't that great (I think?) so having high value lines in Hong Kong should be a good thing at least for pilots based there, right? :confused:


PS. Seven6 - do you really have some pic time in TU95s? (your avatar)

It is a loophole in the contract. The company says we are overmanned but in reality they are playing games with reserves and manning throughout the fleets. They create an overmanning in some seats and undermanning in others. There is no excuse for monthly guarantee at one base of 73 hours and 120 hours at another base other than company mismanagement or greed.

So yes it is a good deal for the expat guys, but at the expense of someone else.

I see, thanks for the explanation...

Specifically, 4a2b is a provision in the contract that allows the company to reduce the minimum bid line guarantee to 48 hours in a 28 day bid month and 60 hours in a 35 day bid period. The normal minimum bid period guarantee would be 68 hours in a 28 day bid month and 85 hours in a 35 day bid month.

The intent was to invoke this across the board and only to prevent furloughs, but it has been improperly implemented and administered by the company and has been grieved by the union.

Reviving this old thread instead of starting a new one ...

We're not officially in 4a2b (MD-11 Capt BLG average is only 66 hrs next months) but I just looked at the secondary line values ...

How come the FDA's and 777 have higher values? Why shouldn't we have system averages instead of individual a/c BLG's. Why not just make the 777 average 110 hours and the MD-11 average 40 hours? After all we all know the 777 folks are special (just ask them). Is that next?

Do you want the real answer or is it just rhetorical ?

As long as they are buying up the lines to 68 hrs, I'll gladly take the 40 hr line

word to your mother

In the 2006 contract, we gave the company a larger BLG spread. This is how they have exploited that "little thing" to the detriment of the crew force. What do you think a give away of a "big thing" like PBS would look like?

Wow! And heeeeeerre we go....popcorn machine is warming up.

Finally someone who said what I was thinking,

I'd much rather "work" 30 hours and get paid 68 and than work 98 and get paid 98.

Work is a four letter word.

So is 4a2b.

Glad I kept my part-time job after the last time we funded the company's dividend.

I don't know why people make such a big deal out of buying up lines.

It was done at both of my former carriers. Sometimes system form requires pilots at odd places and odd times of day.

Regional pilots fly "naps" all the time - late night leg out to an outstation, sit for 4-5 hours, fly the first leg back in the morning. Sum total block hours for the month were 40-50, so you got guarantee.

ACMI carriers too... on a long skinny international route, they may sit for two days at each city, waiting for the plane to make the circuit and get back to them. Never broke guarantee there either.

This is why we should not have pilots doing our negotiating work, too much at risk for the rest of the pilot group , too much temptation for the negotiators to make themselves "look good" ............ in the company eyes

Mark,
Most of the time your posts are pretty reasonable, however I disagree with you here. Personally my experience in the right seat of the 777 has been better than it was in other jets. Yeah there are some "tools" but I've encountered more guys that treat you well and offer to by the first, second and third rounds than I did in other equipment.

Yah, sure. That's because those of us in other equipment can't afford to buy your grog, anymore. I mean, I don't eat catering or Scooby snacks on the last leg, as I don't want my family to smell food(or Scooby snack substance) on my breath when I walk in the door. :rolleyes:


Part of my post is not serious. I'm just joking from the word "Yah" to the word "door". The rest of it is very serious.

A new name, perhaps?
 

With a lot of good guys (and gals, for that matter), now on the airplane, maybe it should take a page from Prince and be called "the box, formerly known as tool" or "TBFKAT".:D
fbh