FDX Exchange of Training Dates
 

Scenario: Training letter is published and Pilots A, B, and C are all awarded ITU training dates to aircraft X. Pilots A and C agree to exchange training dates.
According to CBA paragraph, 24.D.6: "Pilots may exchange training dates with another pilot who received the award from the same posting or a subsequent posting, with flight management approval, provided that every pilot, with an award from that posting or a subsequent posting, who would be entitled to passover pay if the switch were at Company request, consents in writing not to block the training exchange, as no passover pay would be generated with the approval or denial of said exchange, since the swap request is being made by a pilot, not the Company and does not otherwise satisfy the requirements of Section 24.D.2.a."
What advantage would Pilot B gain (he has a training date that is between Pilot A and Pilot C) by blocking the exchange?
Thanks!

Pilot C

I can't see any advantage to blocking. The "in writing" consent part merely ensures that Pilot B in the future cannot claim passover pay --- that is why he has to consent. In fact, there may be a slight advantage to "not" blocking. Pilot C will be junior to him when he (B) is activated, making him slightly "senior" than if he were activated and Pilot A were already trained --- he may be able to bid a better line until "A" is trained.!!!

OOPS... forgot that there may be a pay raise involved; for moving from FO to Capt etc. It still will not benefit pilot "B", but "B" may not like allowing someone junior to make money sooner than seniority allows......

I once blocked a requested trade (I was Pilot B in your example). If anybody was going to get an earlier training date (and subsequent pay raise) I wanted it to be me. Didn't my seniority entitle me to go to training first? I offered a 3 way trade (where pilots B & C moved up in line and pilot A moved to the back of the line) but they weren't interested :confused:

Pilot B would gain nor lose anything in the swap. But I have personally had 1 pilot out of about 18 on a swap give us the stiff arm because he didn't think the "junior" pilot should go to training ahead of him. He somehow viewed this as a loss of pay. Eventually he came around after much hand wringing. Remember we have some folks that will find any reason to deny the swap because its not a good deal for them. As I recall he even offered the training swap with him to the senior pilot. Complete DXXCHE!

Very funny, Mark must have been typing at the same time. Maybe you were the D bag! But I don't think you were? But my point exactly!

I would have thought that if you wanted to trade you training date for an earlier one, you would have initiated the process, instead of blocking someone who took the initiative to email all concerned and pursue the exchange. Just an observation and your offer certainly seems like a viable option.
I also am very aware that seniority trumps all, and the advantage always goes to the senior pilot.
Thanks!

Letting a junior guy go ahead of you without it changing your training date is a win win typically as I see it; it means that you will have higher bidding seniority after checkout if the more senior guy trains after you do which gives you a better QOL for a bit.

This was exactly the case with us. We had spent about a month getting all the required signatures except for our 1 hold out. Then after numerous attempts at contacting him and an initial NO, he came up with a new scenario that would benefit him after all of our work. Needless to say the paperwork from the previous 18 pilots would have been trashed because you have to specify with whom the trade is requested. We basically told him to pound sand and we really didn't have the time to set up his "new and improved" swap.

They wanted very specific language in the letter that says something to the effect "I approve the training swap between pilot A and C and understand I am not subject to any passover pay due to the mutual swap, etc.."

Good Luck!

Not to name names but did his name begin with Steve and end in Trent?

They probably couldn't hear you because they were wearing earplugs.