Yes, we should have never gotten rid of of it. We gave a away alot when we completely dumped the batch sizes. I agree they needed to be loosened a bit, but 5 was more than enough for standards callouts, I could have seen a graduated scales as it neared sign-in time. But no limits is insanity and lots of lost leverage.

Everyone loves to say just turn on auto accept, but it's not always a great option because there is just no great way to have them sorted. I concede that often middle of the night calls are single trips, but I've had quite a few instnace of 3-5 sent out at once. Also, they'd need to make it much easier to turn on/off auto-ack.



Lol right. Logs that supposedly can't even be verfied other than "trust us bro." Scheduling can't get even follow the contract as is, I have zero faith in that log.

 

The current log in my cat has no entries. Hmmmm.

 

I was not arguing what it could contain. I take exception to your assertion that you must acknowledge anything on your schedule during the pre-release schedule check. That is false.

It is only required to check your schedule per PWA 23.S.1.d. Nothing except assignment of rest requires acknowledgement per PWA 23.S.5.f.1.

 

We're talking about two separate things. The settlement was completely ridiculous. We're in agreement on that. I'm not defending it. I'm saying it would be a waste of negotiating capital to try and go back to it without substantial changes. It created a lot of problems for management, yes. But there were negative effects for the pilot group too.

 

I think I see what you were trying to say (though it read differently to me, like what I responded to). But I still respectfully disagree. 23.S.1.d references 12.G.8., which states, "In order to determine what, if any, assignment has been placed on their schedule for the period following their release, a reserve pilot is required to check their schedule via DBMS/VRU after completion...". CS will not call you, because you were required to check for an assignment.

It is implicit in the required check, and a de facto acknowledgment. What different is going to happen if you don't acknowlege? Absolutely nothing - unless you no show the trip, and good luck with that...

 

Mainly the distinction between checking and acknowledging given that Crew Scheduling routinely leaves messages that I need to go acknowledge something on your schedule when no acknowledgment is required unless it is a proffer (GS,WS, some YS, etc.) and I want to acknowledge it. With all the current shenanigans as they try to erode our contract protections, I feel like words matter.

 

There are negative effects for the pilot group due to no batch sizes as well.

 

A lot of the shenanigans is the way our contract is worded, it’s one of the biggest complaints folks have. One only has to look back the last few pages to see it. It won’t stop the company from playing games but it’ll make it a lot easier for the group to combat it.

 

This is why in my breakdown on post #2844, I intentionally said "Never acknowledge any micrew/icrew notification unless you have first been properly notified."

The problem is soooo many pilots simply open micrew, see a notification, and simply acknowledge it before even really seeing if the assignment is proper. Plus, if the assignment does require a phone call from scheduling, self-acknowledging removes that requirement and you are now fully on the hook for it. At a minimum, like I said, we should never be self-acknowledging anything until properly notified by scheduling, unless the assignment does not require them to call you (post rotation schedule check, placement coming off non-fly day before 12 hours prior to start of LC). Rest especially should never ever be acknowledged unless properly notified.

This also gets into why I said you should never answer the phone when scheduling calls, especially if you are not contactable (rest, training, off day). Answering the phone puts you on the hook when they go fishing like that. Plus, if they are trying to assign 30 hours rest, if you don't answer the phone they cannot start your rest for 2 hours after that phone call/voicemail. I've had them try to start rest immediately at the time of phone call for a future rotation and several hours later I've called and forced them to remove the rest and rotation and re-start a legal 30 hour rest period.

My favorite sequence:

1. Finish a 5 day spill GS. Should have PB days immediately afterward, but scheduling doesn't add them and I don't call since I'm not legal for much of anything anyways without a 30 hour rest soon.
2. SC is assigned next day (still legal for that) on the post-rotation schedule check.
3. During rest prior to SC, scheduling calls. They remove my SC, place me into 30 hours rest, and assign a future rotation. I ignore everything and acknowledge nothing because I am in rest and not contactable.
4. 2 days later I no-show the rotation I was never notified of. Scheduing removes rotation and breaks it up. Someone gets a nice 2-leg 2 day last minute GS.
5. Scheduling properly assigns me the rest of the broken rotation starting the next day.
6. That next day I call scheduling a few hours prior to report and tell them I am not legal because I haven't had a 30 hour rest in over a week now. They were still showing the 30 hour rest they gave me a few days ago but since I was never notified that wasn't legal rest for me. Scheduling removes the rotation again and then places me into 30 hours rest.
7. Once my RES days were done for the bid period I call and get my PB days in the bank.

This was during a summer when we were super short staffed and reserves were getting used every single day with rotations, and I sat at home for basically 5 days straight due to the sheer incompetence of scheduling. Plus I made 20+ additional hours cashing in the banked PB days that should have been placed on my schedule during the month. This is what I'm talking about when I say that people who know the rules and stick to them can get more time at home AND more money. Expanding the use of CNO/electronic notification in the next contract will lead to a loss in pay and QOL for many pilots. If someone is too lazy to learn the rules to the game then that's on them. There is no reason for us to make things easier for the company, especially when they make things so difficult for us.

 

PREACH!

Don't give another inch on CNO. Not. One.