Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosmo King
Since everyone is talking about contract items that cause staffing reductions, here is my prediction for an item in the management opener and why many pilots won't realize/care about the immediate and future job losses it can cause.
Virtual Basing a.k.a. Satellite Basing (fNW).
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Benefits to company: Money saved on infrastructure/rent. (See Commercial Real Estate listings in CVG and MSP)
Fewer CPOs (see above) and fewer CPs (reduce number of seniority list management pilots required) Reduce admin jobs (fewer CPOs)
Reduction in pilot staffing
The amount depends on how the language is written.
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One of the last proposals by fNW would have allowed satellite basing with the following "perks" for pilots. Pilot would get positive space to and from sat base. Pilot would get company paid hotel room.
Perks for management? Pilot on call as reserve the day prior to a trip originating from sat base (not paid for reserve day). No deadhead pay to/from sat base at beginning or end of rotation(less pilot staffing required).
If you think its not a significant staffing hit, consider that once you let the camels nose in the tent (think the first time we granted 50 seat RJ relief or first agreement to codeshare with ALK), further erosion will be on the table at every contract negotiation that follows. How about sat bases at NRT and AMS? How about DFW, CVG, MEM and SEA? Maybe we can just have one master base in ATL, one CPO in ATL and we can move pilots around the system by paying their hotel rooms instead of deadhead pay.
Some will think this is a great deal because it MAY end their commuting problems and will want to try it on for size.
I predict this is already in the management opener waiting to be presented
I prefer to slap the camel's nose to keep it out of the tent and then secure and patch up the existing leaks.
End rant.
Interesting perspective.
The way that World does home basing is this:
There is a paper base: MCI
Every trip starts with a airline trip to somewhere. They deduct the difference in the location that someone is actually DHed to versus a DH from their home city and MCI.
Also, they require at least two airlines serve an airport within two hours of your home. They have to be Class I or II airlines as well. (Majors or Regionals)
Works for them due to their long trips, and the fact that they are always paid trip rig versus actual.
Still debating how it well it would work with domestic trips. I know that there was a push for this sort of set up a few years back, but it got shot down.
04-06-2021
