MaydayMark

I'm a slow learner ... maybe one of you smart computer geeks can explain this one? The 'Excess Posting' published today says ...

Programming logic cannot currently manage vacancies and excesses in one bid, so we need to run separate vacancy and excess bids. A second bid, Posting 13-04, will be published the third week in April offering vacancies associated with the introduction of the B767.

I understand that the economy isn't great and we all want (need?) a proactive company that is able to adapt to changing times. I don't believe there is anything sinister in their proposed downsizing. Can anyone explain why our (legitimately) high tech company can't figure out how to manage a single bid that takes aircraft going away and new arriving aircraft all on the same bid!*? A High School kid could write the program.

It will be interesting to hear what ALPA thinks.

Busdrivr

Probably no hiring for one or two years.

OKLATEX

During the first Hub Turn meeting after the 767 LOA came out, that was sort of addressed. The quick and dirty is that the company has not invested in its IT stuff lately, especially for internal use. Therefore, we are seeing issues like this, and is one of the problems for real time trip trading. The technology they use is just too old and maxed out.

Not acceptable to ALPA, but that's the issue for the company.

parks31

And why have we been hiring for two years?

JethroFDX

Only so much you can do with Commodore 64's and TRS-80's.

Precontact

not looking for a job, was more interested in the number of displacements, etc. thanks.

NoHaz

There must be some advantage to 2 separate bids? Union e-mail didn't address it directly.

TonyC

The programmers are busy creating PIBS.






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Tuck

Am I missing something or couldn't every non-widebody Captain with a seniority greater than 3558 (about a Mar05 hire I think) could bit HKG Captain, not get awarded it and receive FEPP for most likely a LONG time. By the two published lists of FEPP there were over 100 pilots (and there were only 2 published lists but there actually more people than that) getting it. From a quick scan of the most senior guys, I don't show any having been forced to HKG. TonyC or HKGFlyer can probably answer that better. So let's say that's about 1000 guys eligible that could all big and get it. Unless you're in that top 50 or so guys I can't see how you would have any chance of actually having to go. Just sit in your seat and take the pay.

On the other had it's very possible that the company, after seeing how much pop this re-alignment would cost them, may decide not to execute the excess bid. I believe FEPP says 8 pilots a month - so a year from now 100 guys would be getting it. 100 more guys, at an average cost around $50,000/pilot that's a cost of $5,000,000 for every 100 guys. So say 1000 do it, that's $50million per year it costs the company.

Hey it's just business - it's just the contract - we all went Fedex to succeed but they have to live within the confines of the contract just like we do.

What am I missing? TonyC?

TonyC

I bid for FEPP when I was excessed from the left seat of the MD-11 the last time around, and I'm looking at bidding for FEPP again. I lost the bet last time; what are the odds of losing it twice?

Seriously, what you're missing is a lot of names of pilots who were awarded FEPP "virtual training" dates who are not listed on the two "published" lists. There was at least one more bid with FEPP awards.

Several of the Captains who have gone to HKG lately were obligated due to the FEPP option. I don't want to mention names, but I can say it has been happening very recently.

But, you're right -- if everyone senior to the most junior Hong Kong Captain were to bid for FEPP, there would be an awful lot of people eligible for FEPP. And then I feel like there would be another settlement agreement describing a new process that provides relief to The Company and it wouldn't work out like we think it should work out.

Certainly lots of questions to be answered here.






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