Is that a guess, or officially unofficial announcement?

 

Glad all the F/Os that are worried will get to keep their jobs. Sucks for people to be let go, especially that close time wise.

 

And out of left field, here comes usmc-sgt with this bombshell. What are you basing this statement on?

 

I heard Silver was or is talking about flying to Turks and Caicos. That'd be a good flight from FLL or MIA (if MIA ever opens).

 

Someone explain the Vacancy Bid Sheet to me.

More importantly, if I fill out the Vacancy Bid Sheet, will I be required to take a vacancy that would put me as a junior reserve guy in a base far, far away? Or can I pass it up and stay fat, dumb, and happy where I'm at as a line holder?

 

Momma says, the vacancy bid is like a box o' chocolates....ya never know what yer gonna get.

 

You can stay right where you are, unless someone senior to you in your status has displacement rights and they want your spot. Then you may get bumped down a spot or two in your current slot, or out of it if you were at the bottom already. If you want to stay where you are right now, you don't need to fill out a form, since you can't bid for your current status on it.

The way this staffing bid is being conducted is pi$$ing off a LOT of senior FOs, since the DECs who are holding the CA seats that we want will be staying in them, and none of us will be allowed to upgrade as a result of this. Also, the few FOs who were making bypass pay from last year will lose it after this staffing bid if they don't get awarded a CA slot from it. Barring major attrition on the CA side in the near future, you will be seeing a LOT of very bitter FOs on the line because of this. Most of them will be in the Florida system, but several are flying in ATL and IAD. If you are a DEC and flying with an FO who was stepped over, do them a favor and buy lunch or drinks for them on trips.

 

Remember they were paying their dues with other carriers before you were even an FO. I'm going to go ahead and ask all pay to players to buy me lunch because I CFI'd for 4 years.

 

If I had been hired as a DEC at their former carrier when they were an FO, and the company then prevented them from upgrading, they'd feel the same way. And I would be buying lunch and drinks on trips for them as a peace offering. Your situation with the lifer CAs is apples and oranges. They are senior to you at this company, ergo they hold CA slots while you wait your turn. I have no problems with pilots senior to me holding CA slots. That's the way it's supposed to work, as we've all been told since we started working to get into this industry.

Seniority with your current company is the system we work under. There is no national seniority list, so DECs are viewed as cutting ahead in line. When a company hires DECs rather than upgrading its existing FOs in seniority order, and then refuses to set things right afterwards, it creates bitterness among the pilot group. Mostly, the bitterness is directed at management for creating the mess in the first place. I've flown with several of the DECs on the Saab, great guys to work with. I can only speak for myself, but my feelings are nothing personal against them.

 

You need to fill out the involuntary part of it in case of displacement. If you like where you are then put that as number 1.

I believe if you fill out the voluntary vacancy part that you have to take what is awarded to you. I don't think silver has a process to turn down an award.