Adlerdriver

Block Display gave me a little peek into my secondary line for March. While I know it’s not final, the block display seems to be spot on so far, in my experience. With that all in mind:
I thought I had this secondary thing figured out. Maybe not. Perhaps someone can educate me if I’m not seeing the big picture.

I have a secondary in the top one-third for March. I have 4 carry-over vacation days which limited my trips options to one or a combination totaling about 49 CH. My input was:
#1 – 13/14 Mar off
#2 – ONE specific trip all by its lonesome
Followed by other inputs not relevant to this issue.

How is it that a guy with a secondary line that is 7 lines junior to me got my #2 choice? This trip would have left me well below the max CH for March secondarys (~69CH) so that’s not the issue. I haven’t worked between 4 Feb and this trip I wanted on 20 Mar, so there’s no scheduling legalities in play either.

Like I said, maybe I’m missing something. If someone is a secondary guru, please enlighten me. I thought they just built them in seniority order now.

Can someone PM me Mike, the ANC secondary builders, last name. I may need to head out tomorrow to fight some windmills once these lines get published.
Thanks.

MD11Fr8Dog

My guess is you got 13/14March off? Skeds will say you got your first choice! I always bid specific trips first, since they usually will honor the days off by default, no?

FedExBusBoy

you have no defense......it was your 2nd choice plain and simple

Adlerdriver

Obviously I don't understand. What does my second choice have to do with a guy 7 lines junior?

Do they still go through everyone's inputs and try to give everyone their first choice before they consider the second choices? I guess I thought that changed.

I thought they built the #1 secondary to completion and then moved on to #2 and so on.

MalteseX

I concur with FedExBusBoy. It was your 2nd choice. They once told me "YOU ONLY HAVE ONE FIRST CHOICE" === if you get it, they have honored your request. You would have an argument IF you didn't get the days off you requested AND you didn't get the trip.... but the way it was explained to me when I used to bid/get secondaries and I complained about much the same thing you are complaining about...... They don't fill ALL your choices on the first go.... they try to fill your first, then your second
I may be wrong, but it was explained to me like this....It's kind of like bidding vacation. ..... you bid your first choice, second etc. They go in seniority order, or in this case, secondary line number order (you can bid lower lines etc).... they go to Line 1 and look at the guy's choices. They try to honor his first choice--- if they do, then they go TO THE NEXT GUY and try to honor his first choice, etc. If they can't honor the first guy's first choice, then they look at his second, then the third if can't fulfill the second, but as soon as they fulfill a choice, then they go to the NEXT GUY not the next choice. That's why if you want a specific trip BID IT FIRST if the days off that you want can be fulfilled by that trip. Bottom Line is that they fulfill your first request...... on a side note, if you put on one line Trip 1 and trip 22 and trip 345 etc on the same priority line (such as first choice) and they cannot honor any ONE trip, you will not get any of the trips and they will go to your second "line"......

MalteseX

Sorry, I posted the post above before I read this from you.... Actually, they explained to me that they try to give everyone their first choice --- not all their choices. (that's when I quit bidding secondaries---I know many guys can't --- but if you can avoid it, do... it's too much a crapshoot).

Adlerdriver

I get all that.

I was under the impression that the method of building them like Maltese described had changed with the new contract. They were now built in seniority order to completion before the next line was considered.
Can't say why I ended up thinking that - I'd like to get a straight answer from someone either way. I'm kind of tired of the smoke and mirrors.

Beertini

Maltese is correct. You don't get ALL of your choices honored before they move down the juniority list. You get the first one your seniority allows you to hold, then they move to the next guy and give him what his seniority allows. They go all the way around the list before they get back to your next choice.

What you are describing is more of a preferential bidding thing I think.

Cheers,
Beertini

Busboy

I really don't think there is a straight answer. You are "requesting" trips, days off, etc...And, sadly, it appears that it is up to the individual scheduler on how to award them. I've had VTOs that I got more than my 1st choice. And, I know that many junior to me wanted my 2nd or 3rd choice, but I got them. And no, I'm not one of the "payola" types.

I know this doesn't help you...But, it is yet another part of our contract that needs to be cleaned up.

The Phase in conflict make-up is done strictly by seniority. That procedure is what you described with your earlier post.

Jetblack

They build them in seniority order not by everyones first choice.

Adler. Was the trip you were asking for 49 CH's? If so you would not get that because your line value would have been 73. 4 days of vacation at 6CH/day and 1 49 CH trip. You stated that the max line value was 69.