Well, that sure was a fine rant......

I agree, our vacation rules super suck. Even my last 2 places had vacation touch/"override". Heck, even after the transition to PBS a week of vacation usually only had me work about 8 days a month.

But as much as it sucks, our jobs are protected. Even the current scope, they're NOT. Or at least, the junior guy's isn't. Your initial post completely reeked of a selfish mentally. Sorry to break it to you....

Right. PBS is FIRST OFF, a staffing solution. It's primary purpose ISNT an overall pilot QOL enhancer. That's farther down the list.

But what's usually lost in a line bid vs. PBS discussion is, it's NOT so much about which is better or worse, it's the workrules that govern EITHER system.

As mentioned, my crappy last job I could get 20-22 days off from a single week of vacation. That was with line bid or PBS. And some of buddies as other shops can get that much with their PBS as well. Simply because the rules that govern the system/award/sort/solution.

Too bad a pilot with vacation can't pref bid, THEN drop the vacation week over it.

 

This is the type of stuff that needs to be talked about.
It doesn’t have to be PBS sucks let’s go to line bidding, we can still have the benefits of both.

 

Remember though, that with the old system, if you were junior, you could wind up getting a line where none of the trips touched your vacation. If you were on reserve, there was a chance that you'd get a reserve line where most of your days off corresponded with your vacation. In my first year, right after finishing transition training, they assigned me my prorated vacation days in between my upcoming reserve days, essentially nullifying the vacation because I was already off on those days.

 

I remember back in the day a LUA friend of mine complaining that his 1 day of vacation (I have no idea why there was only 1 day) was put on a day off, effectively nullifying it, and my response was "They give you vacations?"

 

Right.

Alternate solution like JB uses, and a way my former was exploring;

Vacation deducts the contractual minimum from the bank. But for line construction purpose, it's worth an inflated/"virtual" amount of credit. Say, 35-40 hours. The program only has to find the remaining credit to put on your line to hit whatever threshold is governing. Min guaranty, a line divisor, AVL, whatever.

Of course, one can get "screwed". But just like ANY OTHER SYSTEM, especially PBS, read the manual/talk to a trainer and KNOW THE SYSTEM.

Or do like the old guys, have you grand kid bid for you.

 

To tag, it's called being in a union. It's not about the individual contractor using the terms "me, myself, and I." It's about us, as a whole. The following was offered from the union on the vacation ptc plus up subject.

"Last week, the company announced the end of a restricted program called “PTC Plus-Up”. The UAL MEC, after several weeks of negotiations with the company, asked to stop the program until PTC Plus-Up was formally added to our contract and properly adopted as a fully inclusive and automatic practice. As it existed, it was neither automatic nor fully inclusive, and it was most certainly not contractual.

For your consideration: Your MEC is elected by the local membership to preserve and strengthen the contract, to protect and safeguard our careers, and to seek to uphold and improve the future of our profession. With those goals in mind we approached this particular case. We were unaware of the specifics of the program so negotiations with the company commenced. We needed to conclude a proper negotiated agreement because we were concerned that to further allow a non-contractual practice would set a dangerous precedent. Once you begin allowing practices outside the bounds of the contract, they can become “expected and assumed” or a “past practice” and thus take on a legal precedent, forcing our continued use. At that point, we lose defined, agreed upon language for doing our jobs, as well as our leverage for further negotiation. Your officers agree with the majority of the MEC, and with the tenets of good unionism, in that we absolutely must operate in a clear, defined, and properly negotiated manner in order to maintain and improve upon the benefits of our collectively bargained careers.

To conclude regarding the PTC Plus-Up issue, we’d like to say this: We certainly understand that if this practice is uniformly and automatically applied it is a good thing for our pilots, and we want it back in that proper format. However, we do need to have it in writing. The current practice was not in the contract – you had to recognize that your MPG was above the PTC, you had to pick up a trip in a vacation month, and you had to call the company to begin the process. If you figured out you had a low PTC in a vacation month and picked up a trip, you then had to email Paul Carlson’s team in Pilot Postpay and ask his group to adjust your credit. Then you had to monitor your pay register to verify that the company properly made the adjustment. Also, if you bid for a more flight heavy month, you might not be in the position to do this. So bidding was a factor as well and we know how complicated and beloved that process is. In short, it was task intensive, arguably pilot manpower negative, the company never explained it, advertised, or promoted the activity, and was exactly the sort of variable and/or company-selective reward process we should all want to eliminate from our work environment. We felt it was a “casual courtesy”. The company called it a “Policy”, but where was it written?

This was completely unacceptable and would be to any union worth it's salt. We tried to get the exact same policy, fully automated, codified in writing, but the company refused. At this point we need to ask you, “Why?” Why would the company refuse to properly enact a “policy” that they used to selectively reward pilots, at their discretion, with monetary “plus ups”? There’s obviously something rotten here, and that is not what your union or your MEC is about. It cannot be tolerated for the many legitimate reasons that multiple ALPA communications have mentioned to date.

We are still trying to make the PTC Plus Up system a fully proper, contractual agreement. Either way, we are trying to benefit the pilots by doing things right. By doing things like an actual union. The end of the company’s selective rewards program will be November 1. As it was, we had no say on when the company would or would not turn the system on or off. With a negotiated agreement not achieved, your MEC informed the company to stop the procedure. Stay tuned, and know that your MEC makes hard decisions, but always fights for the best path forward."

 

Obviously a lot of strong feelings here on lots of topics. All of which we need to fix in the next contract.

PBS, Reserve rules, PTC plus up just to name a few. I urge all of you who commented, to participate in the process. I've done my contract survey, although I wasn't called for the phone survey, please do so if called.

I know many do not attend local council meetings for a variety of reasons, but I would encourage all of you to do so. Resolutions, direction to your LEC reps. Resolutions to ALPA national on their direction or to stop misguided ALPA national initiatives, that UAL ALPA opposes. All of this can be done, by you. We are the union. Act like it and participate.

I participate and reap the rewards of now being able to whine with the best! Participating gives me the right to complain!!

 

Glad,you are comfortable in what seems to be some warm and fuzzy cloak of righteous whining, compared to the rest who just work here and call or write reps with complaints.

In the end, I think it makes no difference. Please excuse the cynicism. It is borne out of decades of experience and watching the revolving door of union officials and management members. Point in example, Howard Attarian.

 

There's a fine line between skeptical and cynical 🤑