Same thing happens every FEB and MAR. It has for the last 4 years. JM and EXT until summer time, when people don't get sick. Next month should be interesting with the TDY's.

They continue to blame it on unplanned absences. Problem is they don't work with people to get days off they need for special events. Everyone's figured out its much easier to call in sick rather than deal with trying to 'do the right thing'. Just like how the CIH policy changed. Now people will might continue to try and get to work instead of calling in. The company is slowly learning.

 

Yeah, for example I know a guy who tried and tried to trade out of a hispeed because he had a pre-approved FMLA absence for a medical procedure that HAD to be done on a particular day.

PBS didn't give the guy that day off.

Scheduling refused to approve all of the many trip trade/swaps the guy tried to submit even though he explicitly stated he would have to use FMLA for that hispeed if they could not approve it.

When the guy ended up having to call in sick for it, scheduling marked him NFA after seeing he had tried to call in for it a bunch of times.

Now, I'm no legal expert, but if when that guy goes in for a meeting to get that changed from NFA to FMLA, I think one could file a complaint with the TN wage/standards labor office stating that they received a retaliatory/cold shouldering treatment from the company for excercising their FMLA rights....it is tantamount to having to go in for a meeting b/c you notified them you'd be out on guard duty (USERRA and FMLA offer very similar protections at the Federal level).

 

Nick and/or other pinnacle pilots: if you have FMLA/OJI issues call R&I. That entire issue would have been 1 phone call to me, 1 to the company, and it would have been done. We can't fix issues if we don't know about them.

 

Well all you 9Eers what do you expect?

I would like to think things will change but it seems as if things have gotten worse. JM's are a constant way of life here. I'm getting calls one my days off as well. And there is no relief in sight... Look at the bids, now it seems like they'll push everyone to min days off and fly there butts off. While I'm happy to have a job given the economy and the industry, something needs to change or give sooner or later. Moral is at an all time low. And what's worse is that we are told to be professional and yet the company doesn't treat us as such, scheduling sure doesn't do that, gate agents can't do their job...

It's funny how fast the union and company will chance a policy too. Look at the new CIH policy, while it should have been like this from the beginning, it's to try and alieve the amount of sick calls. I'd be willing to bet that it won't change much. If we can't swap/drop/move stuff around for our days off or if we are told denied because of staffing, guys will keep calling in sick and have their doctors note to prove it...

And what is with the email by our chairman? Specifically the end, The third ancient curse may be waiting for us if we are unable to regroup. “May you find what you are looking for.” I don't know if this is a threat or what but how are we suppose to regroup when things just keep getting worse? The only positive thing that's happened is the MEM acp is gone.

Finally my biggest fear is that the meeting with the nmb did not go well. I'm afraid the union wants to much and the nmb will put us on ice again. Why would the company want to negotiate if there is no pressure from them? We'll see in a few weeks...

 

Well since no one else has updated this in a while, I thought I would put up the latest news. While Pinnacle people already know this, here it is for our friends elsewhere.

Seems like management's commitment against hiring continues. We are going to fix our staffing issues by understaffing another base. 14 CAs and 20 FOs are being displaced from ATL. I have heard no word on where the company hopes these people will end up.

The good news around here is that we will be back at the negotiating table starting next week. In fact, we are negotiating 4 of the next 5 weeks. Hopefully something good will come of this, but it is unmediated negotiations to start.

That's the news for now.

 

When I worked there and finally got fed up on time performance on my flights dropped from 70% to 14% from one month to the next ( I tracked it by APDL) . I never broke a rule or an FAR. I simply gave my minimun effort, the same effort management gave to the operation. Once the majority of Captain's disregard the "carrot on the end of the stick",no matter what the next carrot is,and reward management for there actions there will be no change. A sharp drop in on time performance and, more importantly, completion factor will get a contract done sooner rather than later. Unfortunately due to the RLA that is the only "tool" left in a professional pilots tool box. I hope my former coworker's realize this simple fact at some point.

 

sorry, double post

 

This just proves how understaffed we are on the 200. It is however just a bandaid. They will have to hire and hire soon. With the block hours increasing all summer long its going to get very interesting.

We will have another TA by the end of the month or early April. That is my prediction.

 

Your prediction is wrong.

 

Not if the NMB has anything to say about it.