HoursHore

Search some of FeDelta's post. He's worked under both systems more recently than me. In a nutshell, any form of PBS, no matter what the company calls it or whoever they say is running the process, is a system of bidding around known conflicts. Your vacation, training, even mil leave if your dumb enough to drop it before your schedule come out, are accounted for and built around. No conflicting vacation or training, no carryover, no CIC window.

(Very) senior guys get every thing they want, mid level and junior get screwed. If your conflicts are on a weekend, and you are not senior enough to hold weekends off and trips, you get reserve.

There is no such thing as a reserve line, they are built afterwards and the days put wherever the company need reserve pilots.

My experience with it was miserable.

Chainsaw

Forms of PBS are already implemented in VIPS as to how scheduling processes training make-up bids and VTO conflict make-up bids. The PBS-like system scheduling is using is NOT in the contract and even the bidding instructions on our website are no longer accurate in how to communicate your priority of make up requests. Don't take my word for it, contact scheduling and ask. This constitutes a real change from how make up requests were previously executed. Unfortunately, forms of PBS are already being used on property, because FedEx corp always interprets the CBA to their favor. If it doesn't say we can't, then we (FedEx Corp) can.

boxhauler

Maybe that explains why since January my VTO line doesn't seem to honor "commuter line " like it used to. Previously I have been getting a nice string of commutable trips. Now I have been getting anywhere from two to four 12-24 hours off periods in Memphis in between trips.
I just love playing open time roulette!

Huck

Same as Age 65.

That's why some of us are spazzed out about this.

Because we saw Age 65 go from "ALPA would never let that happen" to "The train's leaving the station, we better get on it so we can help steer policy."

If the MEC ever reverses their position on this I will personally lead the decertification drive. Some of y'all know me personally. I don't make that threat lightly.

FDXLAG

Heck I think the Union ought to talk to the company about PBS. How many pilots does it think it will save them. How they hope to address the junior pilots who will not only suffer more QOL issues but will be stuck at a lower relative seniority for a longer period thanks to the efficiencies associated with it (very similar to age 65). How many more days of vacation are they willing to give us in order to account for the efficiencies saved in the vacation system. How there must be real furlough protection at current salaries before we could even begin discussions. The one thing the company taught us was pay rates, seniority, and guarantees can mean nothing as long as 4A2b in play. And a fix to 4A2b has has to be real before we can talk about reducing the companies needs for pilots.

Contract 2006, both LOA's, and the ever popular extension all resulted in reducing the companies needs for pilots. But at least we got our colas. Hope that is a part of any discussion ALPA has with its members.

I am not in favor of it either but I thought Tony's post was thought provoking and worthy of discussion.

dckozak

This is the reason I have brought this up. I'd knew I'd be raked over the coals for not just standing to attention and following the lead.
As I've pointed out to anyone who'll listen, we need to be prepared to deal with the possibility that Fedex doesn't back down on this and, short of dragging our feet in all negotiations, we, as a pilot group have to be prepared that the union will be obliged to at least produce a counter proposal to PBS. If ever a union was put between a rock and a hard place...

We (as a pilot group, as a union) have in a past been accused of playing checkers while the company plays chess. We can't just close our eyes and cover our ears. We are going to have to engage them and play chess. To do otherwise is to invite disaster.