Premium Folder language being violated
 

The company has declared irregular operations, and per our freshly signed contract is supposed to be putting all open time in the Premium Folder, which is what was happening until they changed their minds. If you look in the Premium Folder, it is now empty and there are pairings in most bases that are approximately 7 hours old which were dropped into OT after having been pulled from the Premium Folder.

After a brief recess, let the games continue!

I count 2 pairings that are in violation system wide. (FO side)

Pairings after 3/15 @ 0600MST are excluded from that DIO provision.

You should see the Captain side. Currently there are 7 violations in Denver alone. Currently 3 more (1 in each base) across the rest of the bases.

I was able to pick up before they yanked it yesterday

I have it on good word it was taken down because several pilots dropped their trips because the reserve coverage allowed it, and then went and picked up premium open time over that same period. Thus, the message about "technical difficulties."

And are we not allowed to do this?

We absolutely are allowed to do this.

And as a Denver reserve CA, I’m going to be assigned one of the trips that should have been offered in the Premium folder for tomorrow.

Please File a dispute if that happens. When they assign it, if you suspect it was being held back for some reason, ask “where did this trip come from” . That way it’s recorded. Makes it easier going forward.

Looks like there is a temporary fix in place. You can call CS and pick up open time at 150%.

For sure... But I wonder if moving the open time to the premium folder made the reserve grids falsely show positive coverage.

Bottom line is, we did good on this provision of our contract wrt DIO. Because even if they fix it so that Premium folder counts against the reserve grids, we still win.

Because as soon as a lineholder grabs a Premium trip, the grid opens a little, allowing someone to drop into the same DIO time frame. Then that trip becomes available to someone for Premium. Reserves therefore are less likely to be used, which should be the POINT! Keep reserves for last minute stuff.

They may not like it, but they negotiated it. If the union somehow waters this down it will be a real shame.

Not only does this preserve reserves which protects the operation, it discourages DIOs except when very necessary. It's good they have to pay us to keep the place running!

Agreed that the provision was negotiated to drive flying to lineholders and save reserves, but I would argue that moving flying to the PAF thus freeing up the DAG allowing lineholders to drop flying at straight time, then turn right back around and pick it back up at 150% was an unintended consequence, and it will be addressed.


Before you jump down my throat, they did agree to it, but we also agreed to things that lead to unintended consequences that the company has already addressed to our benefit. The honeymoon wont last forever, but lets not try to blow sh!t up in the short term. If we can work together to everyone's benefit, that is what we should do.

What did we agree to that the company addressed to our benefit? Not trying to call you out, I’m just curious.

One loose example is DH pay. It wasn’t supposed to be 100% until March but they started paying it DOS.

One way to remedy it would be to pay all flying during a DIO at 150% whether on your schedule or picked up.

Reserve pilots flying on a combo of rsv days and days off being paid all rig over guarantee. There are a number of new provisions in the reassignment letter that benefit us, eg 1 hour 3hours to name a couple

We paid for these new provisions with near industry low pay rates and initial retirement contribution percentage. That’s the whole reason I personally voted yes. The overall language makes up for the low end pay rates.

Reserve pilots flying on days off because the hourly’s not where it should be. Plus this slows us from growing the seniority list.

Been discussed here plenty of times before. The reassignment language is nearly the most liberal in the business. DAL, AA, have vowed to rid themselves of their own in the next contract due to it being abused.

Correct. I have already experienced an attempted reassignment (that I was not notified of) that was going to get me back into base 2:45 past my original footprint. It was due to a late inbound aircraft arriving at the city where I was to overnight. Since the delayed plane was 3 hours late they wanted to use the aircraft I flew in along with both pilots to fly the delayed trip. Since I was never notified they ended up keeping the original crew on it and it just went late. This was deemed a legal reassignment because it is “outside of company control”. Granted I will never hear a thing about it because I did nothing wrong, but once the app is in place this type of thing will be commonplace and unavoidable. If they can claim “outside of our control” for anything in order to maintain schedule integrity, this whole “footprint” language is worthless.

I don’t mind most reassignments, but don’t mess with my time off. That includes overnights at home (I’m a commuter and bid for them) and my pairing end time. I bid for commutability and often times a 3 hour delay will cost me a night at home.

The point is that we never negotiated rig being paid over guarantee for a hybrid reserve add. That was something that went our way after the fact.
I’m not talking about reserves flying on their days off which, by the way had nothing to do with rates.

How is that any different than the old book?

Today it is not. Once the app is in place avoiding this type of reassignment will not be an option. You must return their phone calls once the app is in place.

Most liberal in the industry? Total BS...
And we vowed to have a contract that brought us into the pattern, and as you like to point out, look how well that worked out for us.

Overall reserve language absolutely contributed to pay rates. It was worth x amount of dollars due to the fact we would need less of them. Reserves ability to cover flying on a day off is part of that. I’m not sure what your referring to with hybrid reserve add? Probably something I missed. Also, I understand your overall premise and agree we should work to resolve unforeseen consequences of the new language. Just don’t want to see us give away any language the intent was already agreed upon. Because that’s what happened over time when indigo Bought us. It was taken from us through our lack of disputes, gray areas, and management reinterpretation.

That has always been the original intent. There’s nothing new in the reassignment letter that’s not part of the original intent. Although it is an LOA It’s more of a language clarification letter. Sounds like there’s some other clarifications outside of reassignment. As far as reassignment, There’s a res example for the 150% but not day off. There was also an issue with keeping your overs after being reassigned. As well as some clarity as to when your released to rest. Again, a res flying into a day off under reassignment being paid over guarantee was always the intent there just was no example. We already had the reassignment within 1 to depart with 3. It’s not the company giving us anything that wasn’t negotiated. There are no real new provisions just clarifications.