Originally Posted by Probe

It is not that we are short of pilots. We are not. We might actually be overstaffed. The current problem is we have too many pilots in the wrong place, doing &%$ all for monthly guarantee.

I believe the plan for the summer is to increase block hours on the 76T and Bus fleets, as the 737 fleet is not properly staffed. They are currently contracting a huge number of 737 sims in MIA, but we lack the instructors to cover the increase in training. A large number of the sims are going empty, even though we already paid for them.

Welcome to another UAL goat rope. It never ends.

Originally Posted by nopac6

Todd, you guys didn't have any kind of SRM for premium pay at all?

Originally Posted by Probe

It is not that we are short of pilots. We are not. We might actually be overstaffed. The current problem is we have too many pilots in the wrong place, doing &%$ all for monthly guarantee.

I believe the plan for the summer is to increase block hours on the 76T and Bus fleets, as the 737 fleet is not properly staffed. They are currently contracting a huge number of 737 sims in MIA, but we lack the instructors to cover the increase in training. A large number of the sims are going empty, even though we already paid for them.

Welcome to another UAL goat rope. It never ends.

Originally Posted by Toddnel

I think we gave up a lot in the instructor area on the last contract as far as pay and captains slots go. I'm sure it's great living in Denver but given the fact that TK probably won't be there forever and that we have IAH now, a lot was given up that was fought for over many contracts.

Originally Posted by JoePatroni

If every pilot only flies the hour amount he is initially awarded, there is nothing the idiots in management can do except fix the problem on their end. If a guy is awarded 82 hours, flies 82 hours, and makes 120 hours....more power to him.

Originally Posted by Toddnel

Jan/Feb hours scheduled and flown: 143
Jan/Feb hours paid: 244

That's what I was referring to.

Originally Posted by JoePatroni

I don't think we ever "fought" for anything re: training, that was ALWAYS a bubba deal for the scabs in IAH and, as far as I can remember, was never even up for discussion. Personally, I am glad to see the little scab empire in the IAH training center come to a grinding halt- some of those guys needed to be gone a long time ago.

Originally Posted by JoePatroni

If every pilot only flies the hour amount he is initially awarded, there is nothing the idiots in management can do except fix the problem on their end. If a guy is awarded 82 hours, flies 82 hours, and makes 120 hours....more power to him.

Originally Posted by Toddnel

Has anyone else noticed that it seems like no matter what we do as a union to try and get the company to staff and schedule the airline rationally, they still fail?

We have rigs, we have caps on line value, and now more than ever we have financial penalties to the company for having to SRM and JRM. Still we have major shortages with reserves flying over 85 hours and daily SRM on some fleets. I know of two EWR 737 captains who are getting pay months over $40,000 simply by waiting for the calls for premium pay. Neither are killing themselves as they are getting their existing trip replaced at premium pay to come to work for an earlier trip as the company kicks the proverbial can down the road.

As a 777 FO I had a similar situation happen in Jan when they ran out of crews twice. Both times I was called in for an earlier trip. I didn't work a day extra but with one week of vacation made over $24,000.

Don't get me wrong I'll take the extra money, as it's time to pay the next semesters college tuition, but it's just crazy to talk about charging us for our passes to save money when these staffing shortages are costing them a boat load.

Originally Posted by SpecialTracking

The srm that pilot flies offers the company a vast array of flexibility in current and future scheduling. If the airline was properly staffed there would rarely be a need for srm.

The company plans on pilots picking up srm during the lean times so they don't have to staff properly. Look back to the summer of 2000 for all the supporting evidence you need.