JUNIOR MANNING AND CREATIVE REASSIGNMENTS
The union has been especially busy this week with calls from pilots who face junior manning or creative reassignments beyond their original pairing. Since we anticipate the strong possibility of continued questionable practices by Crew Scheduling, we are working on an updated version of the popular “Summer of Your Dreams” document that many of our pilots found helpful last year. Look for that in the coming weeks. Until then, please follow these MEC guidelines:
·******** If you are unavailable, you are unavailable. The discussion ends there. The only person you need to justify your reasoning to is your Chief Pilot; not Scheduling, not the gate agent, not anyone else in your crew. There are many reasons to be unavailable and only you can make that determination.
*
·******** Regardless of whether you are a Lineholder or a Reserve pilot, you are under no obligation to respond to Scheduling while on a rest period. They can leave as many voice messages as they like, but the FAA interpretation is clear; during a rest period a crewmember is “free from all restraint by the certificate holder.”
·******** It is not your job to notify other crew members of reassignments or to tell them to contact Crew Scheduling. Also, you have no responsibility or authority to accept changes for other crewmembers.
*
·******** The only people who can junior man you are those who work in the Flight Ops chain of command. You are under no obligation to converse with gate agents or ramp tower or to monitor ACARS for junior manning assignments.
·******** Scheduling can make as many changes to your schedule as they like, but your obligations are as follows:
·******** A Lineholder’s only obligation to check his schedule is when he checks in for a pairing, which can be done as early as 36 hours prior to pairing origination, and again when he E-signs after his report time.
·******** In addition to the Lineholder’s obligations above, a Reserve pilot must also check his schedule after 1500LBT prior to a reserve day and after his official block in time plus 15 minutes (30 for customs, zero for deadhead.)
*
·******** In order to junior man them, Scheduling will sometimes put a trip on a pilot's schedule and “notify” them that they need to check in for it. If you call them to “correct” their error, you will be junior manned. Management has stated that Crew Scheduling doesn’t need your help when they make mistakes and if you contact them, then you’re on the hook for anything the CBA will allow.
*
·******** Use good judgment when considering making “deals” with Scheduling. We seldom see reports that the deals work out for the pilot’s benefit, and more importantly, when you make a deal, you are operating outside the protections of our contract. If (and usually when) things go south, you will find it impossible for the union to enforce the deal you made.

 

"If you are a B737 Captain or First Officer in IAH, EWR, CLE, LAX or GUM that does a straight pickup after the issuance of this bulletin of a full trip pairing from open time that originates on March 17, 2012 through March 25, 2012, that pickup will be treated as a “voluntary junior manning” (VJM) event and you will be paid a minimum of 4:30/day or flight time flown, whichever is greater, at 150% of your normal hourly rate."

So far, March 9th to March 25th (and Jan 1st and 2nd).

 

who needs a jcba when the heroes are salivating over the 150% pay.

sad and pathetic

 

Who? I'm in the top 15% and I've got 4 calls this weekend. That means they have called the 85% junior to me and still not filled the seats. Who's picking up the trips?

 

Oh just wait......
They'll still have a complete seperate list in which to go through. It's called VJM Captains that will gladly 'help' staff the right seat.

A well staffed company at it's very best.

 

I wish I could make $250/hr to be an FO. For what they pay me, I'll stay home.

 

FYI. UDOs say that a new tactic has developed. Rather than say you're "junior manned," which you can legally refuse (and apparently many are refusing), they are calling it a "reassignment" or a modification to an existing pairing, which the contract allows.

During the last leg of a completed trip you check the gate assignment and instead of "TERM" (trip is done) it says "AUS - 55 MIN" as if it is just a continuation of an existing trip. Or they meet you at the gate and just say you're reassigned. Call UDO immediately before accepting the assignment. This is just junior manning by another name.

 

Two words:

Fuh teeged.

 

Friends of mine have been getting calls all during their vacations this month.

 

Those aren't exactly "new" tactics as anyone knows from last summer.

Junior manning and reassignment are different things. You are junior manned from a day off. You are reassigned after original scheduled termination...i.e. your trip is extended.