Would you prefer that the whole grid was set to red from the start? Remember how fun that was for 2 years while we waited for arbitration and the company blatantly violated the red/green language. No dropping and you couldn’t even swap a 4day for another 4day on different days even if the coverage was worse.

Red/green may be our single best work rule and people can complain that the grid is red but the point is that it didn’t start that way and the company didn’t change it. Someone is dropping. Maybe those with all red grids just happen to live in a base of folks that don’t like working so the grid goes red quickly. I know I see a good amount of green right now half way through a holiday month.

 

red/green will be even better with a new contract. Good pay rates, rigs, etc. will have people dropping less and working their trips, which will create less red days, but less open time to swap/add as well.

 

The problem with this management is any new work rule will be violated until arbitration which takes years.

We work for the absolute, scum of the earth when it comes to management.

What I'm saying is the company will **** all over the scheduling language like they already do. We could have the most awesome "union runs the solution, just get the flying covered, we don't care" type language and we'll STILL have Mgmt interpreting it however the F—- they want. Did any of you not read the red/green decision?

There's an entire page of the arbitrator describing Jyri testifying that the company could be in compliance with red/green at ONE INSTANTANEOUS SNAPSHOT and thereafter changing it to ANYTHING THEY WANTED at any time.

This is who we work for. The benefit of keeping language is they cant F around with it because we won arbitrations and have cease and desist orders in place.


New language WILL 100% be violated by SPIRIT MANAGEMENT. MARK MY WORDS

 

And? So this is what it is. Language will be changed if PBS is implemented. They will try and violate it and we will go to arbitration. We will win, they will pay for their errors and affected pilots will receive compensation for those violations.

This is what it is and who we work for.

2 ways to fix this..quit or hope the next management group is cut from a different cloth. If you already expect them to screw us when they can, why is it still a disappointment/upsetting when they do just that? Thats what they do. We fly planes and they enjoy screwing pilots.

Many of us have 30+ years left in this career. Take a deep breath and accept that as long as your badge says Spirit on it, there is a 90% chance this will be their objective. Ive accepted it, don't like it, but I know who we are against and I battle them just like they battle us.

If I decide I've had enough, I'm free to explore career opportunities at a pilot friendly airline (oxymoron). But I'm under no illusion that Airline A will treat their pilots so much better than Airline B.

Heros are the union volunteers who have to sift through the thousands of NCCs annually and sit down at a table with management, going over every violation and seeking a resolution for us. And when that fails, having to prep for arbitration hearings and for the 100th time having to look at Jeeeeri say "Huh, yeah, I can do that. I can do whatever I want." While his goofy head and outdated haircut bobs back and forth. Imagine having to do that!

 

At least airline B pays their ******* Pilots........

 

I have an interview coming up. 7k tt 1500 TPIC on A320. I work overseas. I don't need another minute of airbus time on my resume and I'm ASSuming that I don't need the practice. Now for the question:

If I join I'll be on McDonalds fry cook pay for a year on reserve and then McDonalds fry cook Manager pay year two. I keep hearing that you can drop your entire reserve schedule. How does that work? Do I still get paid my minimum? On 3k a month, with two kids, and not living in base, a crashpad would be impossible. If I took the job, pending the offer of course, I would rely on the fact that I can basically take the first year off and not have to worry about a crashpad. Is this possible, or am I reaching. Otherwise I could hold out for a better job that may never come. I don't need the "don't come to Spirit" rhetoric. Facts are appreciated.

 

You won’t be able to drop your entire schedule and what you can drop you lose the pay for. Id look elsewhere based on your post.

 

IF you could drop all your reserve, you lose pay with each drop, leaving you zero hours pay.

You won’t be able to drop it all.

Reserve drop limits are currently a discussion point in negotiations; management wanting zero reserve drops and the union wanting drops allowed from days on the outside of blocks only, on one reserve “block” of days for the month. So neither side is pushing for the entire “drop the month of reserve.” Which is fine because it can’t be done anyways.

And then there is the nightmare of consolidation of knowledge which requires you to fly your 100 hours in 120 days, or back to the sim you go. And if you don’t have your consolidation of knowledge, you’ll be called out first on reserve on the days you can’t drop, all trying to get 100 hours in 120 days.

You can see where this is going...nowhere, fast.

Best of luck in your search but this won’t be the fit you seek.

 

Thank you. This clears up a lot. So I suppose commuting to reserve is impossible without a crash pad? I read you have 3 hour callouts and 11 hour callouts.

I am looking elsewhere but I'm thinking my lack of 121 time could be the problem. Of course I am also degreeless so that doesn't help much either.

 

Crashpad or cheap hotel.

If you don't want reserve, you'll be on RES for less than a year. If you're gonna commute anyway consider *gasp* ACY and be near the top of the seniority list there in 6-9 months. Bid the line you think you can drop the easiest plus transition conflict, try to drop everything, and then pick back up from a more convenient base.

There is no real distinction between 3 and 11 hour callouts. You might get a day's notice, might get 2 hours notice and a pretty-please with 1 hr move-up pay on top if you can get there fast and push on time. Contract says "at the gate ready to go" 3 hours after the call.

When I was on RES, I'd guess that at least half of my calls were 6 hours or less, however they company *usually* called me as soon as my duty window opened and if I checked my schedule before getting called, I would sometimes see that I'd been assigned a trip almost a full day prior and they just didn't call until the beginning of my next RES window.

Lack of 121 time and lack of degree doesn't seem to be an issue but you'll never know if you don't apply.

A little bird I overheard suggested that one other high-payoff first-year game to be played is to drop everything possible first year, and use the time off to finish up that college degree, maybe volunteer somewhere to add some more points on your legacy apps. You'll get more pay at some regionals now but you'll also fly more, with less time for school. Depends on which benefits you more, SIC 121 hours or a degree.