Another Why I'm Voting "NO!"
 

You've probably heard the usual reasons why someone is voting no on this TA (lack of A-fun improvement, lack of significant pay raises, 6-year contract etc.etc.). In addition to those reasons, the following reasons just add insult to injury. Unacceptable in my opinion.
25.D.2.d: The Company and Association are going to look for new Secondary Line software to give the pilot’s "more control and be more user friendly." The new software will provide a “reasons report” as to how you got your VTO and why you were denied something.

For those pilots who have not worked at other airlines with PBS, THIS IS PBS!!! PBS can be great and yet it can be disastrous. It all depends on who controls how the software builds you a line. Don't be fooled by the "gives the pilot's more control." It may allow the pilot to use an easier interface, with more options on selecting trips. But I guarantee PBS isn't going to give you any more control of your life. Just like the current VTO process (which is a huge wildcard), the company will control how the software builds your line and THAT CAN BE DEVASTATING TO YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE if we allow the company to define the parameters on how this software works. All you need to do is ask any Legacy Pilot about PBS and what that did to QOL. This is a huge unknown and is a Pandora’s box.

25. Scheduling Appendix A “Hard Parameters”. Parameter #6 has been deleted. Parameter #6 prevented the company from deadheading you following a leg in the critical period. Now when your body is screaming "I need sleep", you will be required to transit airports and deadhead on airplanes. No rest period or hotel for you.

25.G.3.c: Company may assign base airport standbys to reserve pilots prior to any other makeup category. For pilots who are in base, airport standbys are an easy way to makeup dropped trips or replenish banks (general makeup, priority, vacation, sick leave, disability). This makes sense why the company would want this. Instead of having to pay another pilot to pick up these standbys, they can assign them to reserve pilots who have already been paid a reserve line. Hence, better reserve utilization.

25.F.3.a: A block of carry-in R-days will now take precedence over new bid period trips and the pilot will be eligible to participate in CIA. Currently a pilot could elect to drop a block of carry-in R-days for a favored trip.



8.A.3.e: Deadhead by Company Aircraft Back to Base. If the company can't deadhead you back to base within the "fly window", they can fly you back to base on company aircraft.


8.C.3.d.ii.a: (Deviation Options and Qualifying Expenses … Hotel) Changes in definitions prevent FDA pilots from using a hotel-in-lieu of deadheads between trips, the 6 day (3 in 3) option. They are now forced into the domestic rules due to changing words international to intercontinental.



8.A.5.c.i: Higher Class of Service: In 1999 the FedEx pilots gave up a day of work for First Class tickets. Now, regardless of a passenger carrier’s nomenclature, a Flat Bed seat satisfies the higher class of service requirement. While this change seems inconsequential, this will negatively impact deviation banks.



I know it is incredibly hard to convince someone on how to vote. Please educate yourself on these changes and how they will impact our future at FedEx. Not everything in this TA is for the better. We deserve better.

QOL
 

Good points, PTB.

The slow erosion of QOL will continue over time. Just like here at UPS, there are 20 plus schedulers in a room together 40 hours a week figuring out how to "interpret" new language.

Again, very good points

Add to your significant list, the catch by busdriver12 on a different thread: they have deleted the language that requires the company to build a Secondary Line from trips only, when 'reasonable'. It appears they will be able to build lines with trips and R-days, no matter your seniority. YES, this is indeed PBS! The videos might say one thing - but as you did PurpleToolBox, reading THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE is what we will live under. Those videos will be long gone before our first grievance on this topic. (I am continuing to re-read that section to see if I somehow missed it).

BTW, we already have PBS on property. PBS on par with VIPS technology - our VTO lines. However, we are now EXPANDING it, without even having the software or vendor.

VTOs

anywhere else in the contract where it says the Company SHALL Comply?

a. A secondary line awardee may build his secondary line or modify his
secondary line preferences;
b. The Company shall:
i. Comply with EACH REQUEST given staffing in each crew position,
which shall be processed in seniority order within the request
type, from secondary line awardees with an awarded vacation
period(s) in the upcoming bid period, and who wish to avail
themselves of Section 25.E.4.b.i.(a) above. In no case shall a
request be approved if it creates a conflict with recurrent training
or a known absence (e.g., jury).

ii. Comply with each request given staffing in each crew position,
which shall be processed in SENIORITY ORDER within the request
type, from pilots without any awarded vacation periods in the
upcoming bid period who wish to avail themselves of Section
25.E.4.b.i.(b) above. In no case shall a request be approved if it
creates a conflict with recurrent training or a known absence (e.g.,
jury).
[Application note: for i. and ii. above, the SIG shall be consulted
regarding the staffing for each crew position and be provided that
determination monthly]

QOL has steadily eroded over the course of the last 10-15 years due to loose contract language and this TA opens up a new can of worms. I have been here over 25 years and plan to vote NO. I hope the guys who plan to vote for this, understand the toll this will take on their life. The moderate monetary gains are not worth the QOL losses in this TA.

If this passes, the best way to monetize it will be as a crash pad owner.

Pipe

Lovely. Seniority order. However, should they be unable to fill your schedule with trips that you request (happens ALL the time), there is NO restriction for them to not fill your schedule with reserve blocks, no matter your seniority. Show me where I am wrong.

In addition, since for every vacation period, it looks like one can reduce their vacation to zero, the good trips that drop from the senior guys schedules---because of vacation conflict, could completely dry up, as they try to increase their pay to get the maximum out of the sick leave buyback program.

If you live on VTO, this is worrisome
 

From the TA Q&A:

"Is the SLR a PBS system?
A: The Secondary Line Working Group (SLWG) was established to pursue a new software to replace the current first generation PBS software in use today in the Secondary system. The SLWG shall be responsible for the development, implementation and initial oversight and administration of the SLR. The Vice President of Flight Operations and MEC Chairman must agree on the final acceptance of the SLR prior to its implementation (SLR LOA para. E) pg. 599"

So even though they talk around it, the software will be PBS and it will be approved/accepted by the same authority whose staff crafted this TA. Not really the statement of reassurance that it was meant to be when considering this TA on aggregate.

The incredible shrinking hotel room
 

Sleep rooms instead of hotel rooms? Is this next?

The incredible shrinking hotel room


:eek:

Looks like our new hotel in Toronto. :o






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