Had to love the DTW aero brain trust.

 

Didn't the MEC just have a Special Meeting? I hope the Reps got all the communication they needed there, from the Negotiating Comity, as well as from the Administration.

 

He indicated that up until the meeting, they only received the same updates the rank and file got.

 

Wow. That's disturbing. You would think they would be kept in the loop a bit more than that.

 

I agree. Like I said, I do trust him. But in case I misunderstood, if anyone can verify with other reps, that would be advisable.

 

I always wondered why DTW ATC was the only place that routinely told you that you were leaving Class B on long vectors.

 

I don't think that's true. The reps are frequently kept in the loop as to what is going on, just maybe not minute to minute occurrences.

It's called a negotiating committee, not negotiating MEC. The NC members must be empowered to make decisions within the bounds of the direction they are given. If at any point they cannot accomplish that OR feel the need to recalibrate their vector they will report back to the MEC as a body (they don't answer to individual reps, which is an important distinction to make) for clarification/direction.

If your rep has a problem I hope he does something productive about it like speaking with the admin and seeking support from the other reps to make any necessary changes...NOT sowing discontent among the membership because business isn't being conducted according to his individual liking.

 

You do know that the confines of the class B and the altitudes of the sectors are on the low chart in Jepp FD pro if you zoom in far enough.

 

And with the GPS positioning... wait, never mind.

 

I don't doubt that sick leave is costing them more money. But in my opinion, the main reason is, at least in my catagory 7ERB in DTW and NYC, they are so short, that every sick call has to be covered by a greenslip. Who's fault is that? Not mine. I didn't decide to put off hiring. I didn't decide not to backfill on the last 8 AE's. Marketing/Crew Resources dropped that ball. Now, because FO's in those bases have been rolling the thunder and making more than Captains everytime someone calls in sick, they want to change our sick time. I don't think so. Well I should say, "I hope not."

Unfortunately, our proactively engaged union seems more eager to help solve the company's self induced problems than they are in getting us the CBA that we deserve during the best environment in my lifetime.

Edit: I re-read my last statement and realized I've been buying into the forum hysteria a little too much. I hope the last 7-8 years of results aren't an indicator of future performance. This contract, in my opinion, is our last chance to really get a good working agreement before the next downturn. I know the industry has changed for the better but I don't think we will see an environment like this again in my lifetime. If we do I was wrong...which is good for us too, but I wish I felt like my union was really trying to capitalize on our current profitability to secure an outstanding contract now, but I don't.