Conversion lines (FDX)
 

Anyone ever have any experience with conversion lines. I have a R24 line in dec with Xmas off, but after reading the sig notes I am worried about an involuntary conversion and loosing Xmas, so I am thinking of volunteering to convert in order to protect my days off.
Never had a conversion line before. If they don't give you all trips can they then rebuild you R line with a different RP. For instance, give me a couple of trips then rebuild my line from R24 to RA. Appreciate any info if anyone has had e pertinence with this.

Thanks.

4. Conversion Lines

a. A conversion line is a reserve line that has been converted into a secondary line as provided in this paragraph. Conversion lines shall be constructed after the construction of all secondary lines and in seniority order among those pilots submitting for conversion.

b. A pilot's bid may contain a submission for conversion of his reserve line, if awarded.

c. If a pilot submits a line construction worksheet that identifies certain days off to be protected, his reserve line shall not be voluntarily converted unless those days off are protected.

d. A pilot who has submitted for a voluntary conversion line shall contact VIPS within 3 days prior to the commencement of the bid period to determine if his line was converted.

e. Involuntary Conversion Lines

i. The Company may involuntarily assign conversion lines if:

(a) more than 5% of the total CH value of trips from the bid period package exists in open time after construction of voluntary conversion lines, or

(b) there are trips remaining in open time that operate over New Year's Eve and Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve and Day.

ii. Involuntary conversion lines will be assigned until the thresholds established in Section 25.D.4.e.i.(a) and (b) no longer exist.

iii. Pilots shall be selected for such assignment in reverse seniority order. The additional conversion lines shall then be assigned in seniority order among those pilots. The number of reserve lines involuntarily converted may not exceed 50% of the total published reserve lines remaining after voluntary conversions. A pilot whose reserve line has been involuntarily converted shall be notified of the conversion as soon as practical.

f. Conversion lines shall comply with the provisions of Section 25.D.1.b. through D.1.e. (above). If a conversion line cannot reasonably be constructed entirely of trips, it may be constructed of trips and R-days.

g. The assignment of a conversion line may not conflict with a trip that began in the previous month.

Thanks, I actually already read the contract. However I am looking for anyone with information on actually getting a conversion line, and how the contract was put into practice.

Happened to me last year, bid RA in 2 blocks (10 day and 5 day). I knocked the 10 day out with training and picked up trips early in the month during the view/add window. The other 5 days straddled Christmas (23, 24, 25, 26 &27), which was okay, because I planned to meet my wife and daughter in HI on the 27th or 28th for 12 days.

Then, right before VTOs were finalized, I got Crew Notifications for trips and saw they had converted me to a VTO for those 5 days, giving me a trip prior to Christmas and one on Christmas, which were no big deal, but I was also given an out/back on New Years Eve. I had ZERO input into the conversion.

Fortunately, I was able to trade that out/back, then drop the traded trip, and the Christmas trip had a DH out of ANC on the 26th, so I met my family a day early, on the company dime.

VTO = working Christmas, whether you're a regular VTO or converted.

Hmmm. Do I remember something in the contract that says they aren't allowed to convert R24's? I could be wrong, but....

I think they can't be converted to A or B reserve. I think conversion to a VTO is ok.

I was awarded R24 for Dec. My futures scheduler told me that my R24 could not be involuntarily converted to a secondary line. Could not find this referenced in CBA. I guess I'll have to take his word on it.

Well that would change my whole strategy. I checked the box to voluntarily convert to a vto because the contract states that if you volunteer you can protect your days off, however if you are involuntarily converted then all bets are off. I think it might be a mute point anyway because the only reason they would convert is to make someone work Christmas Eve or the day after. I can protect those day by volunteering to convert, however they won't convert me if they can't protect my days off.

Yes, can't change an R24 to a different RP.

Don't they have to have a minimum of 10% R24 lines?

Hey Purple, how senior are you? If you have R24 with X-mas off, I assume you are relatively senior. Since they convert in seniority order, if there is at least 30 guys on reserve junior to you, you should be safe from conversion. It's not a clad guarantee, but in the 17 years that I've been here, I've never seen more then 20-25 R lines converted to secondary lines. YMMV. Good Luck!