This was exactly the same position of Jay Pierce and the CAL MEC. They allowed this sort of attitude to permeate and penetrate everything military related at CAL. However, that's not the position of US Federal Law. So, the position of the CAL MEC was trumped because the ALPA pilot members, who were dues paying members in good standing got sick of the internal ALPA politics and decided to leave the tent.

Our family's have been inconvenienced enough. But, you go ahead and re-write Federal law and we'll see how that shakes down.

The US Government has decided for cost effectiveness reasons to push the burden of defending the country on to the reserves. The shiate rolls down hill and so does the inconvenience my friend.

 

The issue is not fudging mil leave.

The issue is taking legitimate mil leave and having the company legitimately and correctly accounting for it in terms of benefits negotiated and benefits delivered.

The harassment stuff has been worked out since the merger between UAL and CAL. The CAL cronies were all either removed or retired, or reassigned.

 

I don't know that I necessarily like agreeing with you but on this issue you have done a good job of identifying the problem and the actors to hold responsible for what went on at subCAL. The current MEC and Military Affairs guys are doing a good job of reining-in and stopping this from happening at the new United.

Going forward, I don't think we'll see individuals needing to file personal lawsuits as it will likely be handled as class action at the MEC level.

One things that needs to be included in this discussion is the many military new hires coming on board. The company will honor that military service and commitment by law and the MEC will support them through Military Affairs Committee. If there is a problem the Military Affairs guys would/should be their first call.

 

He wasn't just checking on my status, he was being a condescending a$$. I had already provided orders to the company he just felt that he needed to lecture my commander about how he (the chief pilot) remembered how the reserves were in the 80's.

 

Dude, I don't want to help YOU pull your military reserve duties. I don't care if you think we should all pitch in and help. I did my time in the military and don't want to give Uncle Sam another minute of my time. They tax me and tax me and continue to tax me and now you want me to help you with your reserve duties. No Sir, do it yourself!

 

Thank you for serving your country. I truly mean that and appreciate your service.

On the other hand, nobody is asking you to help with our reserve duties! All the military members dropping leave is probably not personally affecting you one bit other than the occasional trip you might have to fly or possibly the occasional long-call or short/call you might have to sit.

Get over yourself, you did your service to your country, now let us do ours...

 

I'm not buying your narrative. You are trying to convince me that nobody is gaming the system with mil leave. Mil leave is protected by federal law, so is having a Blue Handicap placard hanging from one's rear view mirror and so are service dogs and emotional support dogs.
Do you see my point yet? Gaming the system will mil leave creates a sort of "unknown" situation with schedule reliability. The crew desk is inclined to not allow trip drops or trades with the rest of the pilot group. But like you and the rest of the military reservist, you have federal law behind you and you will continue gaming the system. If you want to stop these discussions and pilot hostility to mil leave use, then son you have to clean up your act. I will say it again, I do not want to help you pull your reserve duty - I've done my military service.

 

By showing up to work, you're "helping me pull my reserve duty?"

It sounds like you just don't want to work. Your job is to help fly the line, and fill in holes when other pilots can't (for whatever reason).

By the way, last time I checked, we are innocent until proven guilty in this country... so it's on YOU to prove that people are gaming the system.

I don't know what your beef is, but maybe you should just focus on doing YOUR job instead of worrying about how us guard/reservists balance ours.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

20 years ago I would say it was possible to "game the system." But, my definition of "gaming the system" and yours are likely two different things.

My definition is asking my Commander to allow me to telecommute occasionally if nothing was classified secret, or TS, or if I just had OPR's to catch up on to let me do it from home.

You can't "fake" military duty. You are either on orders or you aren't.

Occasionally someone gets sick, or something happens operationally that necessitates changing or cancelling the order, like a class gets postponed or a cancelled, but just to hear a line pilot (ALPA member) falsely and erroneously state that people are "gaming the system" is totally UNSAT.

Deployments get slipped, deadlines get missed, and inspections or support to operations gets changed by the tempo of war or the fog of war, but the last time I gamed the system was the first time I gamed the system. My drill sergeant caught me sleeping under my rack and he flipped it over on me. I think your idea of gaming the system and mine are on two different planets.

 

You're a 747 captain according to your profile, so how exactly is anyone pulling mil duty affecting you? Either you're on reserve and bidding for whatever days off you can get anyway, or flying your line, and near as I can tell all the whale capt's are too old to still be serving.