Ability to waive below 4 days off
 

So, I wanted to ask what you think about the continuation or termination of the ability to waive below four days off during the bid period for your schedule.

Honestly I like to have the option just in case I may need it.
Apparently there's pros and cons, I just can't think of any.

As long as it’s at the pilots option, not the company’s its great. It’s a big reason I came here.

One large + of the option to waive is that during months where you want extended amounts of off time together you are able to pile your working time together. For example if I want the first 12 days of a month off I can waive below 4, perhaps to even just 1 day off between work blocks, and request the desired dates. Depending on how you setup a bid like this PBS will attempt to put all of your pairings from the 13th to the end of the month. Imagine you already had vacation during that same month, you would have a good chance at having most of a month off. Then add in a bid in the month before that where you did the same thing but instead requested the last 10 days of the month off and waived the 4 day in order to get your trips at the beginning of that month; you would have the ability to have over a month off.

Obviously PBS will honor seniority in these requests and it might not be able to honor the entire length of off days you requested, but you can still do it. If the option to waive is taken away you are left with only the vacation time awarded and the availability in the red/green board. This is only one major benefit of being able to waive.

There are people who fear that if we continue to allow waiving the four days off that we will demonstrate that the four days off are worth nothing to us and the company will get a mediator to take them away from us in the next contract. I don't think that will happen.

I think the company frankly doesn't care about the four days off anymore. Models have been run indicating the staffing requirement is the same either way.

Personally I prefer having the ability to waive as there is no way I could get the work cadence I like being stuck with four day off blocks.

It’s a huge advantage for a commuter on reserve being able to lump days together and limit the number of commutes a month.

Make sure you voice your opinions to your reps. There are a couple that are possibly resistant to letting the waiver continue. This is a massive QOL issue as you all know. Email your reps to make sure they do the right thing.

Very true. I hear people say “ we gave up 4 days off for free “ all of the time and what they don’t get is that we didn’t give it up. Keeping 4 days off is a protection for people who want it and the company can’t force you to have less off. The ability to waive 4 days off with PBS is a massive QOL asset. If we lost that our schedules would become far worse because you basically kill half of your flexibility when bidding.

I like to use it when I need it, at least 3 out of 12 months for vacation purposes. Works great when I Front or Back load my schedule. Rest of year at least 4 days off.

Yeah, that's what I'm planning to do also.
I was just wondering why the SPA email said to think about all the pros and cons and let our representative know and I just couldn't think of any cons!! That's too good to give up

The ability to waive (not give away 4 altogether) adds flexibility to bidding. The question is was there a value add to the company? If there was we have leverage by being able to choose whether we revert back or not. I know there are a couple things I’d want in return to keep the waiving permanent.