Duplicate Fleet/Base, ISL, Incentive, & Tempo
 

I've got some questions and am looking for L-UAL and L-CAL guys' opinions.

1. Which bases/domiciles have duplicate fleets? I looked on Skynet, but it only shows me the UAL side. I know we have UAL and CAL 757/767 in IAH. I suspect similar in LAX, possibly JFK/IAD. I just can't remember all the changes from earlier this year. The point is, I know UAL put some bases in CAL territory, and CAL put some in UAL territory, and some are duplicates.

I would expect that after ISL completion, those bases/domiciles would be merged.

2. As I understand it, the ISL is done solely through the Merger Committees, and if it reaches an impasse, it goes to the three arbitrators.

Does the Company have any input? From what I understand, I think no.

3. The company loses flexibility by having two different lists of crews in a domicile. For example, if UAL IAH 757s ran out of Reserves, but the CAL side still had some, without an ISL, they are stuck. A single list gives them more options.

As such, do you think the Company would offer incentives to complete the list sooner rather than later? Since it saves them money, would they offer us money?

So, the questions are:

A. Will the company merge duplicate fleets in the same base, and will it maintain status-quo, or lead to displacements?

B. Does the Company have any input?

C. Would they offer cash to settle quickly?

A. Yes, all the bases will be merged but not until after ISL. For now it's status quo with split staffing in the bases where both divisions operate the same equipment.

B. In regard to the actual ISL, zero.

C. Absolutely. In fact, the exact amount is $150M. This is the portion of the 'signing bonus/retro' which is being withheld by the company until ISL is complete to incentivize the pilots to complete the ISL quickly.

(Hint: all of this is laid out in the ALPA Merger Policy, the TPA, and the new contract.)

It may me quite a while after sli before bases are merged. In order to merge some bases like 756 ny, every l-Ual pilot would have to be trained on the 76-400.

Plus... won't they also have to get lots of differences training for all the digital gizmos, GPS systems and comparatively modern avionics for the 757s too?

Modern avionics in a 757? ;)

CAL system bid coming out in a couple of weeks with 737 flying rumored to be going to all LUAL bases, some of it significantly larger, like ORD. In addition, according to IAH CPO update this week, lots more Airbus flying moving into LCAL domiciles too. So, the company is not really waiting until ISL to redistribute flying how they see fit, a lot of the changes are happening beginning in March. I don't think this will lead to displacements as the rumor in the training department is about 400 vacancies on this final LCAL system bid. If LUAL furloughees come on board now, they can probably hold any 737 base quickly after training, or wait until ISL and go to Airbus at any of the LUAL or LCAL bases this time next year at the latest. We can discuss more when I get back to squadron in late Jan.

TMAC

TMAC...how is the retraining going? It's FLAPWHEL...

If the bid rumor is true it amazes me how management doesn't seem to understand there will probably be fences and grandfather rights within bases and equipment.

The ISL doesn't mean just where one is placed on the list. Much more involved than that.

Our JCBA does not provide for any "fences" nor "grand father rights".

I think you're dreaming if you think that's going to come out of the SLI process. Those are protections won in contract negotiations because they co$t money. That ship has already sailed.

So unless you think the company will reengage with some side letters out of the goodness of their hearts, I'd be prepping for the idea that when the list is done, it will have no more protections than can be specifically identified in the contract language right now.

When the ISL is done and cross bidding starts it will be a bit of chaos for the company. It is probably better to do it all at once and get it over with. If they do it over a couple of years they will probably double the training requirements, if not more than double.

Rip it off all at once and scream a little bit, and move on.

IMHO