Originally Posted by TED74

Is it ego that would drive one to want to operate the Normandy flight?

Originally Posted by DWC CAP10 USAF

Great question.

A SIL is Special Incentive Line. If you can find a copy of the old contract from 2016, it was spelled out in LOA #2. Big picture is if a category had an excess (getting ready to get displaced), company could offer a SIL, which pilot could voluntarily bid for. If awarded pilot would only get paid 55hrs, but have zero obligation to the company....so less pay but less work.

Back in April 2020, the normal awards had already been awarded before the company determined that the world was shutting down and they wouldn't actually execute the April schedule as it was. They approached DALPA about getting permission to re-publish a new April bid package and do the awards all over. DALPA agreed and one of the conditions was that the company utilize the SIL option..company agreed.

So when the new awards come out, shocker, no SILS. Company, JL specifically during a live Flt Ops Town Hall, stated that SIL's "aren't fair" to pay pilots to sit at home and doing nothing when they are asking the rest of the company to take unpaid leaves of absence.

As the summer months went on and WARN letters turned into actual furlough letters, the Flt Ops Town Halls continued and one of the questions was regarding the status of the SILs and if there were plans to actually utilize them....I've already opined on how RG responded in my previous post so I won't repeat it here.

Originally Posted by CBreezy

Management often flies the highest profile trips, at least as far as I have seen. And it would be one thing if he wasn't a veteran. Sure, perhaps he should have let a seniority list pilot bid on it.

But that's separate from the complaint that he was flying as an ERA and it wasn't fair, which was the primary complaint.

Originally Posted by Hotel Kilo

We have many hundreds of not thousands of vets flying here. Some with multiple combat tours. Some wounded in combat. We have Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross and I believe up until he retired a Navy Cross recipient in our group.

Why is Gumm more deserving?

I got news, the red tape wasn't solved by him, but he took credit. If he's a true captain, why does he need a seeing eye LCA?

All this illustrates his personality, ego and hubris. Something it seems you fail to grasp. Gumms bad news for this group. Period.

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Originally Posted by CBreezy

​​​​​​It's a Memorial Day trip. As long as it's flown by a veteran, it doesn't matter to me. The flight isn't a who's more of a worthy veteran. Should it have gone to a seniority list pilot? Sure. That's the most fair, contractually. A good leader would have stepped aside. But I'm not arguing he's a good leader. I'm just saying at least he's a veteran.

Originally Posted by FangsF15

To add to this excellent recap, In C15 and before, there was a provision whereby ALPA (the scheduling committee chair?) had a 'vote' in their value and offering of a SIL. They had traditionally been 55 hours, but sometime well before Covid the company unilaterally decided to offer them for less without consultation as I recall. 40 hours maybe? I can't remember the specifics, but the result was that ALPA exercised an option to "pull down" SIL's altogether IAW a clause in the contract.
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Originally Posted by Trip7

Typical APCer response to an opposing view.... must be trying to be in management. Only thing I'm trying to climb is the mountain to Financial Freedom. I'm a fan of competent management along with a strong Union that provides checks and balances. Personally I've seen no evidence the Gumm is the "bogeyman" and will not jump on the blame him for everything bandwagon that started with the "Optimizer" rumors.

Mainline pilots wanted RJ flying in house for years and we got it with alot more coming.

Originally Posted by StoneQOLdCrazy

I think it even dipped down into the 20s, with the then-scheduling committee chairman (same guy who permitted ARCOS without a peep to the MEC) approving that ridiculously low number without consulting the MEC.

So the MEC pulled down SILs, and eventually canned that scheduling committee chair. There's probably a lesson in there for scheduling committee chairmen who make side deals with mgmt without the MEC's input (see also, minimum turn time dealmaking). I asked my rep about that, and he's NOT HAPPY with the way that went down.

Anyway, as you said, the MEC negotiated an LOA in good faith for SILs with good ol' Gummer. Was he the fall guy, or was he just letting Bastian be the bad cop?

Doesn't matter. If he negotiated something, shook hands with his ALPA counterpart, and then had to come back to the table on Monday to renege for any reason whatsoever, he should have resigned on the spot. It doesn't matter what the stews got. Instead, he looked like a useful idiot and meat puppet for Bastian. Expect more of the same.

Originally Posted by sailingfun

They negotiated an agreement that the company could at their discretion offer 55 hour SIL’s. Since a 55 hour SIL offers little or no cost savings I never expected the company to offer them. Per the agreement the company at their discretion did not offer SIL’s.

Originally Posted by flyforever1978

I worked for one of RG's "former employers" and I can tell you, your love affair with him was not felt the same way there!

You can accumulate a pile of money without towing a line that does not match the history of the situation. There are many views of RG, but a "competent manager" is NOT one of them. I don't have an issue with you being positive, but I do have a problem with you making someone out to be something they are not. If you wonder why there are lots of posters here questioning your tone, maybe there is a reason?

That's great that RJ flying is coming back to mainline, but 1. That is more a reality of the lack of pilots at the regionals (not some amazing gift from management) and 2. I would wager that most Delta Pilots are not interested in doing "a lot more" regional flying!!

I'm sure you have a great gig now with whatever GS and OBWS and what not you are doing, but remember that only works when staffing is S$%ˆ&@#. Maybe that's why you are so happy RG is back in charge!!!