LOA 11 Reserve Improvements
 

Can anyone clarify the reserve improvements outlined in LOA 11? Some make sense, but for those of us who don't have 121 background, it would be nice to see how the improvements listed in LOA11 will improve QOL on reserve. On the other hand what is a "bucket system?" When will line pilots start to see these changes? Are these improvements an attempt to make upgrade, and leaving a R1 line as an FO to a CA on an SCR schedule more palatable?

The LOA 11 is a concession by the MEC Chairman to increase the flow to 10/month. The Union did so without getting any input from the pilots whatsoever. Many are disappointed, including myself as you can probably tell. Only thing that remotely resembles QOL improvement is that you're no longer required to call on the day before starting a group of reserve days. I don't know of any other airline that does this; this shouldn't have been agreed upon in the first place. A major downside to this LOA is that the company can now assign trips 120 hours (5 days) in advance, meaning not all the open time trips are available for seniority-based trades for lineholders that happen towards the end of the current month for the next month. Also it made it more difficult for some reserve pilots to swap days and for lineholders to drop/swap trips. Our MEC Chairman during a conference call said this wasn't his intention. Sounds like he's claiming he got blindsided.

Before the LOA, pilots don't have a list of pilots who are sitting reserve on a particular day. The LOA forced the company to publish that list, so you can now see it on FLICA. That's the bucket system.

However, with all this being said, the MEC is still negotiating better reserve rules and pilots expect that to be published by summer. There are some line rumors as to what they're negotiating, and if those rumors are true, we'll see some good changes.

Did you miss the part of the LOA's that require significant reserve rule changes, which the MEC members have been meeting with the company about for the last couple weeks? Wait a couple weeks, allow the actual reserve rule changes to come out, and then judge.

I understand... that's why I mentioned they're still working on improving it but the LOA 11 itself is a concession in my opinion.

Yet we still have no idea where we are in the order for getting a trip assigned, or if the other available pilots requested first or last out. Then there is the "efficiency over seniority" language that makes that a moot point. Hopefully that will all see clarification and improvement following the additional negotiations.

So far, reserve has not been that bad, but I am not prior 121 and live in base, so I have no basis for comparison.

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm concerned it's been two months since this was agreed to, and we still haven't seen the actual language of the flow increase. It would be nice to be able to see what holes are in the language that will allow the company to drive a freight train through whenever they want.

I'm starting to wonder if our ALPA reps even got this flow increase in writing.

They said it had to go to the national level Tim Canoll has to sign. It's been 8 weeks now since the announcement, and I would think the more time goes on without any positive news coming out from these LOAs the more pilot morale is going to turn sour thus creating an even more toxic situation between the pilots, union, and management. I'm assuming some of us are questioning which side our Union is representing as these Reserve rules have cost many of us money and losing QOL.

This place is getting more toxic by the day. Thats what happens when there is no communication between the people we are required to pay to represent us. "we cant talk about on going negotiations". Yeah that worked soooo well with critical pay arbitration. Dont touch my sap with out a vote.

There are about 12 toxic people, and they are all on here. They have absolutely no idea what they are talking about, and just want to be angry about everything.

Look at where we were when the contract was signed in went into effect in 2013, and look at what we have now. It is night and day better, and continues to get better.

This x 1,000...

It’s hard not to want to reply back to a lot of this stuff but I feel like I’m wasting my breath at this point. Most of you care (or you wouldn’t be here) but you don’t know what you don’t know. And no amount of trying to explain things on here makes any difference. There is a reason many of us have stopped replying to some of the stuff. A lot of it is absurd and some of it is ignorant.

If you are so upset with the direction things are going or the lack of communication or whatever flavor of the month gripe is going around then I encourage you to be persistent about getting involved. Run for an LEC position. Join a committee.

Are probates eligible for any of these things?

If the flow increases, yet again, and the flow times come down to a realistic 4-5 years, people arguing/making policy will have even less vested interest in what is best for "the new guys." If/when the leadership is out of touch with the largest pilot group (with 600+ new-hires per year, you know what I mean) you can hardly call them "representatives," not so dissimilar to real politicians. I'll withhold judgement on that until we see the new reserve and other work rules come out.

I think you're the one that doesn't know what you're talking about.

In 2013 the flow was 4 pilots a month with 500 total pilots. Using that ratio, we'd have at least 14/month leaving right now. I'm still working under the 2013 contract, I don't know about you. My pay rate is based off of the LOA signed in 2013. CCP is not as good as it was in 2013/2014. SAP is part of the 2013 contract. What's night and day better than the 2013 contract? Things are better in terms of growth and upgrade times and PSA is probably the best choice among regionals, but that's not part of the contract.

If you're trying to say someone doesn't know something don't start off the post with incorrect info.
We didn't have a flow in 2013. or 2014. Not till 2015 did we have a flow. We had an interview with Airways in 2013/4 and only for a month in 2013.

The LOAs that amended the garbage 2013 CBA have done a lot to improve QOL for first officers. With the flow going to 10 a month, thats pretty good movement. They haven't done anything to help us out in the left seat and CCP has been gutted since 2014. It was great when I was new here, then suddenly garbage.

Guy what are you babbling on about...

I think he was referring to the 2 MEC guys that were busy getting their cocktail dresses ready for the big dance at Delta and AA.

12????!!!!!! get real dude. What planet are you on? I LOVE my job. But the union isnt doing a great job. I hope that changes or IS changing, and yes I vote.

This.

Going on strict percentage of people I fly with 80% of the people I fly with are not happy/low morale/not confident about our future.

What's even funnier though is people who are not in committees, sitting at tables, etc, etc that think there access to rumors is somehow better/more qualified than any one else's rumors...