Good evening, this is Herb Holland with
the MEC Hotline for Thursday, June 27th. Bear with me, this is a long
one. And I’m going to read it into the machine just once, so pardon me
for any mistakes.
Tonight topics are:
1. The Great Alaskan Salmon Bake and Esteban
Concert
2. Flight Crew of the Week
3. Math Whiz of the Week
4. Scheduling Blooper of the Week
5. Vacancy Bid
6. Line Blockers
7. Gatekeepers
8. The Attack of the Non-Aliens
9. Negotiations
10. Web Board Professionalism
11. Professionalism
Salmon Bake and Esteban Concert
Don’t forget Sunday’s Salmon Bake and Esteban Concert. It starts
at 2 p.m. at the Mesa Centennial Center. If you haven’t ordered your tickets
yet, call the MEC office ASAP – we just ordered more food and added tables
so there are a limited number of tickets remaining. Anyone who was told
we were sold out please call again. We’ll have your tickets at the door.
And we’ll leave the light on for ya. If you didn’t get the map, head east
on “60,” north on Country Club, east on University for half
a mile and then south on Center Street. It’s in downtown Mesa, the land
of wide streets and narrow minds. Don’t forget that Esteban is performing
gratis, so please show your appreciation on Sunday and purchase one of
the CDs that will be available.
Flight Crew of the Week
No doubt the Flight Crew of the Week award has to go to Captain Marty
Zacharias and First Officer Jeff Agosti whose professional judgment turned
a potential emergency into a “routine” incident. The story as
related by the captain: On flight 841 from PHX to RDU, their number 1
engine experienced a noticeable loss in oil quantity over Northern Alabama.
They called MX control as the oil quantity dropped rapidly through 10,
to 5, to 3 quarts. MX control originally advised them to continue on toward
RDU and run the engine until the low oil pressure ECAM action was required
and then shut it down, per the ECAM. For Marty and Jeff that was the wrong
answer. They considered all the alternatives and immediately diverted
into Nashville and landed with 2 quarts remaining. We have preliminary
information on the cause of this massive oil leak, but we will defer any
additional comments to “the official” company report. And of
course the MEC and the Safety Committee were immediately notified. NOT!
Marty and Jeff’s quick, decisive and professional
actions proved once again that this pilot group is committed to keeping
America West’s safety record the envy of the industry. Marty and Jeff:
you ARE the strongest link! Bravo Zulu.
Math Whiz of the Week
The math whiz of the week award goes to one of our pilots, who will
forever remain nameless, lest he feel too embarrassed to enter the crew
room. I will disguise this incident a little to protect his true identity.
Everyone does get a freebee. Just prior to starting “C” reserve,
he called crew sceduling to “preview” his next mission. He had
two days of reserve prior to a string of GDs. His first mistake was calling
20 minutes ahead for a preview. He talked to CSing’s master of contract
“interpretation.” This CSer told him the only thing he was legal
for was an all nighters to XXX getting in at 0635, followed by a DH back
to PHX at 1615. Would that be OK? Not doing the math, the pilot said sure.
Well, the problem with the math was that the pilot’s rest was only 8+40,
a strict, unambiguous violation of Section 12.C.8.b. A legal return to
PHX would have put him into a GD.
An hour later he was assigned that trip
during his normal reserve shift. It wasn’t until he got to the airport
and checked in that he found out that CS, in order to explain the illegal
rest, had typed on the pairing that he had waived his contract rest!
After he realized he had been “gotcha’ed,”
done been had for not doing the math, he gave me a call. I listened to
the story, but could not help him. If you accept a trip without doing
the math, you’re stuck with it, unless, of course, it’s FAR illegal. When
CSing does the crime, and you don’t pay attention, you do the time. This
will be grieved. CS then added insult to injury when they assigned the
pilot a two leg DH back to PHX in a BJ (Baby Jet).
Crew Scheduling Blooper of the Week
Here’s another one for the record book. A CSer convinced one of our
more gullible types that since the company was recalling all the furloughed
pilots, that it was OK to fly on a Golden Day. Since the company has refused
to let me listen to the tapes, I can only rely on the pilot’s own recollection.
The pilot not only accepted the assignment, but he was given positive
space from an (undisclosed) outstation on the East Coast to PHX. The pilot
flew a leg to a West Coast city and was released well after midnight,
three hours into his East Coast WOCL.
The pilot called me up in a panic, after
his deal was discovered. No mercy from this office. Section 25.K.3 couldn’t
be clearer: “Reserve Pilots may not be junior assigned on Golden
Days.” And this was the pilot’s second offense this year.
Both the above CSing incidents occurred
this week. Crew Scheduling is refusing the MEC access to the tapes, to
which we are contractually entitled. As a result I have to rely on the
statements of two red faced and very penitent pilots. I will reserve any
comment on possible pilot cooperation with CS until after I hear the tapes.
Vacancy Bid
The company is blatantly violating seniority with this latest bid.
The returning furloughed pilots are
being treated as new hires with no bidding rights. The company plans to
assign these FOs to positions that best meet the company’s needs as they
do with new-hire pilots. But these are displaced pilots, displaced by
reason of furlough. The company considers these returning pilots as “overages.”
Of course that begs the question: if they are “overages” why
were they recalled in the first place? This is their creative way of saying
these pilots are in excess of the contractual formula and thus there are
no vacancies. The word “overage” appears nowhere in Section
24 and can only be found in one location in the contract, Section 10,
which deals with management pilots who return to the line.
The second violation is the company’s decision
to decrease the FO positions by an equal number of the captain bids to
prevent secondary awards. This prevents any FOs from bidding into these
vacated positions.
The company also claims they have the right
to this course of action because of past practice; that past practice
was the recalls earlier this year, which we are also grieving. But if
they were really interested in past practice, they should follow the past
practice of not only the pre-contract recalls (1993 through 1994), but
the recall procedures used in 1996. Both were done within the guidelines
of the existing contract.
Line Blockers
For those pilots who think they are getting away with violating the
contract by blocking their lines, think again. Although lines may be blocked,
the MEC and the Scheduling Committee have instant access to every published
and every irregular ops pairing. Keep that in mind the next time you feel
lucky.
Gatekeepers
Two of our FOQA gatekeepers have decided to resign their positions
and return to full-time line status. And with the abuse of their seniority
in BP 194 who can blame them. The MEC is considering withdrawing our enthusiasm
regarding the entire program should the company fail to comply with their
LOA obligations.
The Attack of the Non-Aliens
Although I will be the first to admit that last week’s resident alien
simulator training topic was a little bit tongue in cheek, the program
does exist. And we must comply. But on a reread, and in a letter which
AWA will be sending to your home shortly, you will discover a part of
the ATSA’s FTTTF’s FTCCP (and this is not a joke), which states (quoting
from the bulletin): “All candidates seeking flight training from
U.S. providers must provide proof of U.S. citizenship to a provider in
the form of a U.S. passport or birth certificate.” And yes we are
all “candidates” under the jurisdiction of this Papal Bull.
So, after a date to be named later, in
order to simulate flying into Canada, you must present your passport at
the simulator door. Or at least have a copy of it on file with the company.
Ergo: no passport or birth certificate, no training. Of course if you
are actually FLYING into Canada, other forms of identification may be
sufficient (don’t forget, however, company procedure requires all crew
members to carry passports into Canada).
So even if you are not an LRA, and are
still confused about the FSDO, FTTTF, FTCCP’s program under the auspices
of the ATSA, feel free to call the FTTTF at FBI Mailbox #27, 935 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. at 703-414-9535. And don’t ask me why you
are calling a Virginia area code for an office building located in D.C.
Negotiations
Negotiations resumed on Tuesday. Please listen for a special hotline
update tomorrow evening. The outcome of this week’s session will make
it clear whether the company is willing to negotiate in good faith or
is drawing its own “Line in the Sand”. Listen to the update
and “Phone a Friend.” I hope the message is upbeat.
Web Board Professionalism
A few pilots have complained that I have become the “Web police,”
after asking them to tone down the use of inappropriate language. I have
not demanded, but only suggested that pilots modify their posts to more
appropriate family standards. The Web Board is the place for a free and
honest exchange of ideas, but let’s not let it disintegrate into a bawdy
exchange of four letter words and insults.
Professionalism
As optimistic as we have been after previous negotiating sessions,
there may come a time when the MEC must inform you of a pothole or roadblock.
Should that day occur, it is imperative that each of you maintain that
high level of professionalism that our passengers and our fellow employees
have come to expect. But don’t forget we still have 22 disabled retirees
facing loss of benefits. Don’t forget we STILL have 56 pilots on furlough
and that the last ones won’t be recalled until this fall. And don’t forget
we are two years, two months past the amendable date of C-95. And if we
are being stonewalled, then there IS no end in sight.
Meanwhile, “keep it safe, and keep
it standard.” Obey the FARs, obey the FOM, follow the contract, and
beware of the WOCL.
Good evening.
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