Breaking your contract
 

Its no secret, the majority of regional contracts aren't anything to smile or be happy over, however, many pilots did work hard to get the contract at their respective regional that is in place. Over here at TSA, there seem to be a number of new hire FO's that waive their contract, usually number of days off in a month. A few questions then. Don't you guys think this is a slap in the face to the pilots who have spent 5 to 10 years at a place, whose only hold to some sort of quality of life is there contract? Also, we're in the middle of contract negotiations. If the company sees enough people not abiding by the current contract, don't you think it will make it harder to get improvements in the contract to come?

In short yes.. and they are also making it much more difficult for future negotiations.

I really dont want to know what "Future Negotiations" means at TSA though... It will probably read something like... Sign this or we'll give all your airplanes to Go-Jet

Just ****es me off. The pilot group, as in most regionals, have enough challenges with the company without their own pilots making it more difficult.

This topic has always bothered me. On the one hand, one should not "violate" the contract primarily because it sets a bad precedent that can be used against the pilot group in future negotiations and in arbitration's. On the other hand, the contract exists to provide a minimum level of pay and working conditions supposeably to benefit the pilot and pilots. If you can benefit by "breaking" the contract why not? I'll give you an example.

Suppose your contract says you must get a seat in the back to dead head. You do not have to sit in the jump seat. Now, one day you are dead heading home and a non-rev friend of yours is trying to get on the flight. If you take the jump seat they can get on. Should you? I mean doesn't that set a bad precedent? If you take the jump seat the company will use it against you in future negotiations right? Baa!

Now for extra credit. In the above situation, what if you give up your seat for your friend and the CSA puts someone else on the jet (their friend for example or a higher priority non-rev) do you have the right to insist on your seat in the back again or insist that if you give it up, you determine who gets the seat? Hmmm. Stew on that one for a while.

I contend the seat is yours to give away. To be honest though, I've never been very successful with that opinion.

AWAC has a contractual requirement of 12 days off a month. If I want to pick up opentime that will take me under 12 days off a month (as long as nobody is on furlough), so be it...that's my decision to make.

We also have a Min Day credit of 3:00. If my last day is worth 4:35 but I want to drop my last turn to commute home (reducing my block down to say 1:45), I have to waive the Min Day portion of the contract for Crew Scheduling to approve the drop. Once again, that is my decision...for many, QOL is more important than a couple extra hours of pay.

These specific examples (and similar ones like them) absolutely DO NOT AFFECT UNITY DURING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, and are different that being a complete and total company *****, waiving the CBA at will to "help the company out". That kinda stuff *does* affect unity...

But where is that line drawn?

I just joined ALPA and at their dinner, they told us to make sure to not break the contract, because it looks bad. So as a new hire, I'm going to be sure and follow the contract.

What airline are you working for that lets a new hire join the union while in training?

Um...every airline that is ALPA?

Your first year you are a Probationary ALPA member...after you are off probation you become an Active member. You work under the ALPA CBA and you *should* be entitled to the same representation as an Active member...you just cannot vote.

^what he said. We joined the very first day of ground school, and are entitled to representation from that day on. Just don't have to pay dues the first year and can't vote.