Custom Line Question
 

Just finished IOE for 727 SO and am trying to figure out the custom line rules. I do not have any time left for Nov, but will get a custom line for Dec since the bid has closed. My pay only line was reserve, but I am approximately 50% in my new seat. The contract states "Such pilot shall have the ability to enter a line construction preference worksheet for his custom line at that time. The Company shall accommodate his preferences in accordance with seniority to the greatest extent practicable."

Just spoke with CRS and they told me I can't get any trips that are currently in the window until all secondary lines are built, even though my seniority is high enough that I could have held the 5th Secondary line. In fact, I was led to believe I can expect RA. There is no way RA is in accordance with my seniority. R24/RB would be reserve in accordance with seniority, trips would be in accordance with seniority. Above 80-85%, I can promise I will never bid RA! I've read the contract and must be missing something. Any help would be appreciated.

It sorta depends on how they define "in accordance with seniority". Seniority within the company? Seniority within the seat? Seniority within those getting custom lines built? Obviously you want the second, but I'm guessing schrew schedules is doing the third. Why? "Because they can." (i.e. it isn't defined otherwise)

Just another giant hole in our contract that the company can drive a truck through and will.


They will give you RA because they can. If you want to help change this procedure, file a grievance immediately following the awarding of your RA line. More than likely you will not be successful and the union probably will not even want to help you, but you have a right to file.

I personally think the answer to this hole in the contract is to let a person in training bid the next month if their schedule is to finish training before the next bid month. Not, if they are scheduled to finish after the bid closes. Because this only happens to most pilots a few times in their career, it is not a big issue for contract changes. However, as you can see it is a big deal. Use your union survey to demand the change and encourage all of your friends to do the same. Thanks for bringing this up as most of us do not think about it until we are faced with the same. I will put this into my survey.

Seniority probably won't come into play with your custom line. You'll get trips left over after secondaries completed and/or RA days based on days off on your line bid for Dec and BLG. They don't give RB or R24 on customs.

That is exactly what happened to me in this month. I finished 727 S/O IOE in October, one day after the November bid closed. I was bidding about 65-70% in my seat. I put in my custom line preferences and Reserve was not one of them. But RA is what I got. I left messages with CRS asking them why I hadn't yet received my custom line for November and it was the night before open time was released. I finally heard back from CRS two days AFTER open time had been released. By then there was nothing left to create a custom line. I was told exactly what you were told... that my November custom line would be built only after all the secondaries had been built. If all the open time trips had been used to build secondaries then what I received was NOT a custom line at all. It was the wretched refuse that remained after the secondaries had been built which amounted to nothing. I swear schedules had simply forgotten to build my custom line and just gave me RA. I'm holding a line in December so clearly my seniority should have warranted trips or worst case scenario RB for November.

Custom lines get done after secondary lines, this is why.

For the longest of time I had heard the exact opposite. Maybe it's a 4a2b thing. :mad:

Can you cite chapter and verse from that silly little thing called a contract? I know it is crazy but I use it to keep track of the rules I work under.

I can't find it, I had always assumed it. Maybe I'm just completely wrong! :o

I'm trying to think back to when I last came out of training 3.5 yrs ago, but I guess the secondary lines were already done.

Hmmm, maybe I was wrong about being wrong! :rolleyes:

I know its a crazy thing, but entering "custom line" as search terms into a SEARCH in the .pdf version of that little thing called a contract yielded this as a result!:cool:

Teach a man to fish......


Sec 25.G. Open Time Assignments
1. Following resolution of phase-in conflicts, open time may be
used in the following order: training assignments, phase-in
make-up (including MUV, as provided in Section 7.G.5.a.), and
then substitution/reassignment. Remaining open time shall be
used for construction of secondary and conversion lines. After
construction of secondary and conversion lines, open time may
be used at any time prior to or during a bid period for PMU,
substitution/reassignment, custom line construction, advance
reserve assignment, advance volunteer assignment, make-up,training assignment and Association Fly Back (AFB). However, during the first 12 hours after the publication of open time, only
pilots shall have access to open time trips starting in the new
bid period. The Company may also use open time before the
assignment window in order to assign a trip to an R-24 pilot.