Variations of this resolution came out of several LECs earlier this year. Some bases wanted more seniority on RSV (ATL) and others wanted less seniority weight/smaller buckets (DTW??).

The MEC wasn't sure how to proceed with such conflicting information, and decided to conduct a poll of the pilot group on the Bucket size issue, among other things.

The results of that poll have been analyzed and will be presented to the MEC this week in SEA. They will then decide how to proceed. All of this is academic until the next time we engage the company anyways, because the company is under no obligation (and would almost certainly decline) to change the bucket sizes to allow more seniority on RSV, as it makes us less efficient as a group. The SOT can make recommendations to the company, but it would probably be ignored unless we ask them for smaller buckets - which many see as a concession.

I'm curious to see what the results of the poll say. We should hear something after the meeting this week.

 

So are you saying a junior guy hitting bucket 2 with 32 flight hours on the 11th is not fair? If the senior guys sits on the couch for the rest of the month in bucket 1 so will the junior guy in bucket 2. The bucket system is self correcting in this regard.

OBTW - the system you are describing is exactly what we had at DAL - I should know, I was the plug in LAX back then. The bucket system seems to me to be a very compromise between spreading the work and honoring seniority.

Scoop

 

When exactly was this poll? I never got a call and I dang sure wanted to let my voice be heard about this ridiculous system (buckets are too big). I know my reps got a flurry of emails about this a few months ago. We're tired of it.

 

and when we go to straight seniority the company will count up how many people sat while others flew for them and determine that's some extra fat and we can MD this category and move guys over to the 88.

and somehow that increases staffing.

 

I thought we were 'engaged' with the company right now, over the minimum NRT Slot issues and the JV block hour compliance?

Everything is negotiable, all the time.

 

But, you're putting words in my mouth.

 

It ran a few weeks ago. They used Wilson polling to conduct the survey and they called just enough pilots to get a statistically valid sample across categories. It's very expensive and time consuming to do a live call, so not every pilot received a call.

You're not the only one with that opinion. It will be interesting to see the outcome.

 

I agree swing the poll results would be interesting but they don't publish poll results do they?

 

well I wish when they poll they'd just do it through the internet or something-then they could get everyone. Who's to say the sample is valid? Did they poll the same number of senior vs. junior people? Did they even poll people that are on reserve? Something just doesn't seem right about doing a small sample poll on something that affects everyone. And also I was told a few months ago a poll was coming in August and to let my thoughts be heard then. Wow.

 

Dunno. I would expect we will hear what the MEC decides to do wrt bucket sizes even if the entire poll is not published.

Even if it is published in black and white, there will be those saying it was tampered with, forged, faked, etc. so I'm not sure how much good it would do anyways. The entire point is so the MEC can make the best decision based on what the majority of pilots want.

Timbo, my point earlier was even if we, as a group, want bigger buckets, it won't automatically happen. The company would have to agree to it, as it would increase our cost. Now if we ask for something that saves them money, they would probably accept, just my opinion.