Q. Will Virtual Bases decrease pilot staffing to minimum levels at those bases that are not yet at minimum levels? What impact will Virtual Bases have on the total number of pilots needed system wide? Will Virtual Bases make scheduling changes more difficult?
A. Virtual basing and TDY are projected to offset about 47 of the 73 jobs that will be created by the increases to vacation and CQ training pay. Neither of the provisions are expected to have an impact on the numbers of pilots above the minimum staffing formula that the Company carries in various positions. As such, there should be no change to how readily a pilot can adjust his schedule today.

Note that virtually basing and TDY is 47 jobs total. The hour extra on ALV cost a lot more.

Technically correct, but substantively wrong. This is why we are always fighting a two front war against the company's army of negotiators and against ourselves. We've got to move on from the Indecent Proposal mindset. Not everything is for sale.

We keep entertaining the sophistic notion that "if they offered us one bazillion dollars for one more big RJ then of course we'd take it, ergo the function only comes down to price". When it comes to our jobs they will never offer us more than they are worth. Therefore its off the table from day one.

If they try with non starter fantasy strategies, we boomerang them right back at them. They want a KA domination over us in the JV to get relief from our current contract language, but offer some ridiculous profit share tie in? We counter propose with an offer that we be the only operators in the JV, except a single KA small wide body per week. See how easy "asking for anything" can be?

[QUOTE=Hank Kingsley;2388691]Dude you really need to go back and edit your comment because you misquoted me instead of the offending entity with the key portion of what you quoted.

Not my post. Don't know why it says I posted it.

Yeah I quoted him quoting me quoting you so not sure what's going on with the function.

sailingfun screwed up the quotes in post 222. It's kinda his thing... at least the grammar seems to have gotten a bit better!

[QUOTE=gloopy;2389798]Don't dude me, kidding, I wasn't quoting you. It got confused, like the last few posts. I was trying to quote the Minister of Company Propaganda.

And we could unilaterally allow it to expire. Are you failing to see the wisdom of making management at least buy it back, again? Let alone completely remove it. Poof - like it never even happened. 47 jobs retained. (because its a LOA, it never really made it into the contract)

We agreed to give it a trial. We should do that. If it's a big negative then let it expire. It may benefit some pilots. The question is is the benefit greater than the job loss. It's worth noting that home basing which is what we're talking about was a item mentioned in the contract surveys as a item some pilots want.

No, we agreed to give them THIS year to try it. Language my friend, language.