After Air Whisky Ground Ops tattled on us (Pot meet Kettle!) A minute late is a minute late...

So let me make sure I have this right. They are taking away unlimited call in honest? So instead of trying to continue to make it to your next flights, you should just call in sick and get a DR note and skip the entire 4 day.

Guarantee this new policy is going to back fire, just like the 'marking you late' deal. This policy is going to cause an increase in 'unplanned' absences.

Sit back and watch this place melt down.

[edit; delete comments] It doesn't take much effort not to get out on time the way we are scheduled now. Along with ASA, Comair, and every other Delta Connection flight at our hubs and outstations the ground crews struggle to keep up. But, our union needs to step up and get this contract settled NOW!!

You missed the point of his post. He doesnt want you to get out on time. No contract? then you can watch our performance plummet. It is illegal for your union to tell you to do it but what incentive is your company giving you for rushing to get out on time? I am guessing he was referring to the lack of unity in standing up for yourselves.

9E is in trouble. Delta is [edit; upset] at our management due to all the crew cancelations. So how does our management decide to fix the problem? Crack the whip. Will it work? I seriously doubt it. It may stem some of the "unplanned absences" but will not fix the TRUE problem of the fact we are understaffed for the amount of flying we have been given by delta. They should have hired in april to have the new hires spun up by june. They didnt do that, they shoved their heads up their arses and pretended we were properly staffed. Now its crunch time and they find themselves around 100 pilots short. The 5 P's are in full effect.

Now this brings us to the issue of the contract. There is NO fricking way the company is going to go into negotiations next week with the intention of getting this contract done. Why? Because the change in the work rules during the summer busy season would be devastating operationally. Lets face it. The morons running the show in Memphass will bungle the switchover to a new contract just like they've bungled pilot staffing this year. I am seeing a lot of similarities between Spirit and us. With any luck we will be walking our own picket lines around the first week in August.

It would be the most time some of us have had away from flying in 3 years. We would still be in uniform though.

this is total bs. what is our union going to do about it? what would the feds have to say if they saw the memo? calling in sick is not suppose to be punitive or threatening. my ame advised me a while ago to keep any and all memos, letters or anything about stuff like this. the far's say dont fly sick, remember i'msafe, and that if your not feeling fit to fly, don't fly. end of story.
dont worry guys, we go into mediated negotiations next week and we will get some new lame excuse as to why we there is no news on a contract. in the mean time, the company will push everyone around and come up with new work rules. i really hope our union stands up and does something. this has got to stop.

We are working on it- this just came out yesterday and the official policy isn't even out yet. Mgmt is in for a rude awakening. Last time they blamed pilots for unplanned absences the rates of absence went through the roof, hence this policy coming out. I cannot fathom why mgmt would start this with spirit getting a TA after a strike, a week before the nmb, pilots about to all get horrible July lines with 90+ hours, and morale in the gutter. There will be communication to all pilots shortly- have to get all the ducks in a row first.

The company obviously didn't think about the fact that 1 sick pilot remaining at work will get many sick. The pilots that now need doctors notes will have hefty bills for the company to pay (even with our insurance as we as self insured). So now we have a pilot calling in sick AND costing the company $500+ for a note because of a cold and the company complains about insurance costs.

I see major FAA Regualtory issues and possible HIPPA law violations if this policy is put into effect.


If you are sick, do not fly. Simple as that.

Anyone who calls in sick should go to an urgent/immeadiate care facility. They charge emergency room rates and a basic bood workup/evaluation is about 1K. A couple of years ago, I went and was there 4 hours and got an eval/blood profile and chest x-ray for the congestion I was having (they were concerned about possible pnuemonia). They gave me an IV as a precaution for dehydration and it turned out I had a common URI (Upper Resperatory Infection).

Tab was over $4200 and that was 2 years ago.

DON'T let them claim they'll pay the deductable on your health care and request/demand you can bill it as a claim as that lowers your lifetime maximum. It's THEIR request............THEY pay IN FULL (not lower negotiated health provider rates). There's no reason why every sick call cannot cost a minimum of $1500 to the company. Should anyone live near Rochester, MN might I suggest a vist to the Mayo clinic. Also, it might be a good idea to officially (and publicly) proclaim the pilot group to be flying "under duress" and that they cannot guarantee their fitness under current threat and pressure from management.

Get tough with this unsafe draconian policy.

I don't think it is fear the prevented them from hiring......it's because they're too CHEAP!!!!! ;)