The effect on staffing is the same. The rest is what it is.

 

I thought I might chime in. The beauty, the unexpected genius of reserve green slips in fact, is that they essentially function as a GSWC. But....they are merely defined as a GS in the trip coverage ladder! This may be the ONLY place in the contract where a reserve vs regular line holder are not on a separate coverage step. The trip coverage ladder merely states "green slip" and NOT "regular green slip" followed several steps later by "reserve green slip."

In hindsight it was a monumental oversight on the company's part many years ago. But many years ago, green slips were a far rarer occurrence, senior guys got two GS before a junior guy got one (a bad rule that we fixed in C2K) and reserve was so awful that the idea of bidding reserve on purpose was hard to imagine. So reserve green slips were very rare.

So now the company is seeing all these PB days causing some disruptions. So be it. I am guessing that the company would love to change the reserve GS rules, but I don't see that ever making it into a TA. That would be a "one issue NO vote" for many.

 

So this one issue that effects 4 people in each category and only 2% of us have ever used this provision yet it is somehow an automatic no vote if it gets changed? I literally can’t remember flying with someone that can give me advice on rolling thunder because no one has done it. I don’t think you are right. There are more automatic no votes for lack of medical freedom than for reserve rule GS changes.

 

I don't know about historical data, but I can tell you that I would guess the vast majority of NB B's that have been on reserve at some point in the past 12 months have enjoyed the benefits of PB days, even if it's just for a single GS in the month. It is certainly not limited to the most senior RES pilots in category. I've flown with a couple of CA's rolling thunder as well, although I would assume it's harder to do so as staffing in that seat seems to be better. From several posts on here it appears that RES GS's are flowing quite readily on the WB's as well, which traditionally have been leaner when it comes to GS.

Now are most reserves fully rolling thunder each month? Probably not, but does not negate the very positive aspects of PB days. Even a very junior pilot can block off the last few days of the bid period and land a 1-2 day GS and get days put into the bank, which can pay massive dividends down the road depending on how they want to use them.

 

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but I think it is very category dependent. "Four guys in a category" impacted by this? I've flown with three FOs in the past month alone rolling the thunder! (ATL 320)

 

Green slips on reserve affect some, but not many. There’s also a camp of pilots who don’t ever care to green slip even on the line. I call them inconvenience slips. Nice to get once in a while but that game can become very addicting and your world revolves around depending on them.

 

I can count more pilots than 4 in my category on one hand who use reserve greens and PB days. Then I use my other hand and toes and keep counting. Then I count some more in my head.

 

Chicken and egg problem?

Once every van driver, globally, sets this up, (and phones work everywhere) there's some convenience. Until then, those who choose to do this also need to carry $$ just in case. Double effort.

Van drivers prefer cash for the same reason everyone else does: cash transactions aren't taxable (in the real world, not the letter of the law). So I lean that way, and always will. That's just me though.

 

The impact of PB days on staffing requirements goes far beyond pilots who actually fly reserve green slips. It affects every pilot here.

The latest rumored company proposal from a former LEC rep on FB is 23% over 3 years, 1 year retro, and the elimination of PB days for reserve green slips. There’s a reason why the company wants them gone so badly. I never fly reserve green slips, and this proposal is an easy no for me.

 

The green slips on reserve would have to be 2x pay then is the only way I see anyone doing green slips on reserve then.