PSA QOL

[gabby]

If you are thinking of coming to PSA here are some things to consider....

You might upgrade in less than 5 years. MIGHT
If you hate your spouse this is the place to be. You will never be home to see them.
There are many one leg days. You will make less than $30 for Getting dressed in your Uniform, going to the airport, going through security, getting your flight case, doing the walkaround, getting ATIS, clearence, taxiing flying taxiing doing the walkaround, grab your crap, leaving the airport, waiting 30 min for a van, check into the hotel. ALL for less than $30.
Stay in a crappy hotel in an industrial park with nowhere to eat and get bitten by bed bugs.

The last memo from our CEO said that the reason we are getting junior manned so much is because of the High F/O attrition. I haven't moved up a spot in 2 months so where is this attrition? It is all the brand new F/O's that know they are going to sit reserve for over a year if not two are leaving to go to Chautauqua or Mesa. I don't blame them. Get the training then get out.

Go into the crew room and it looks like a Job Hunting Fair. Everyone is on their computers looking for another job. If i was CEO of PSA it would really get me thinking. Knowing that 95% of the Pilots just want out. I would ask myself why?

Chief Pilots hate you, when you think they are here to make your job safer, you do a 7 leg day then reduced rest overnight. And this is legal? How about the legal to start, legal to finish? If the FAA says 8 hrs is enough why does our company feel that we can do more safely, just because of bad weather? Doesn't that make it less safe?

Scheduling does what they can to make you work as much as possible and make as little as possible. I could go on and on about scheduling but 10 days off and 35hrs booked is enough said.

Management does nothing to improve our QOL or moral. In fact they will lie and cheat you any chance they get. How do you know the DO is lying? Yea you know.

Comair accident can happen here, we are tired underpaid and very very stressed. If you are planning on coming to PSA just remember you have been warned. The only person here that cares about you is YOU!

 

[WSurf]

Well that pretty much sums up every regional airline! Hey, Look on the bright side, you guys are flying nice shiney RJ's!!! You could be stuck in a 20 year old Dash 8!!!

 

[gabby]

Well that pretty much sums up every regional airline! Hey, Look on the bright side, you guys are flying nice shiney RJ's!!! You could be stuck in a 20 year old Dash 8!!!

Aren't you going to get the Q400's. I think DP would go that way but remember what he said "Gone are the days of flying bigger airplanes for more money". I guess they will play you like they are playing us with the 900's.

We need to get back to the days when managment was scared to walk to their cars. Our president condones this behavior. Negotiate and when you don't get what you want bomb the crap out of them. Isn't that the lesson our federal goverment is teaching us?

 

[WSurf]

I don't know if we are getting the 400's! But what does that have to do with the QOL at regionals? They all suck in there own way! Some maybe a bit better in one area and terrible in another!
If they want use to fly the 400's for our Dash 300 pay rates, we will just tell them to shove it like you folks did on the 900's!!!
Bottom line.... PDT and PSA need to stick together!!! Big Time over then next years!!!

 

[gabby]

I don't know if we are getting the 400's! But what does that have to do with the QOL at regionals? They all suck in there own way! Some maybe a bit better in one area and terrible in another!
If they want use to fly the 400's for our Dash 300 pay rates, we will just tell them to shove it like you folks did on the 900's!!!
Bottom line.... PDT and PSA need to stick together!!! Big Time over then next years!!!

I agree, we just need to sort out our scheduling problems. Maybe Tempe needs to get rid of PSA and Piedmont's Management. That might light some fire under their asses.

 

[WSurf]

I agree, we just need to sort out our scheduling problems. Maybe Tempe needs to get rid of PSA and Piedmont's Management. That might light some fire under their asses.

Very true!! Our cultural survey was a joke!! We basically blasted everything about the company.

 

[Hello Newman]

Perhaps this might explain why PSA is the least reliable of all our express operators. But can someone tell me why PSA'a CRJ70's always seem to have the planes's PA system fail which causes last minute cancellations?

:down:

 

[rjh]

Scheduling does what they can to make you work as much as possible and make as little as possible. I could go on and on about scheduling but 10 days off and 35hrs booked is enough said.

First of all, I admit that I dont' know anything about the operation at PSA, or their contracts, or their scheduling department. So, I am addressing this point more generaally.

It seems that no matter what the airline, crew members blame crew scheudling for their long workdays and bad trips.

Dont' blame the schedulers, they often have a very difficult job. They ensure all the flights are staffed, and that they are staffed withing the FAR and contract constraints--all the while, getting bitched at by people that make way more money than they do. If you feel contracts are unfair, don't blame the schedulers, blame the contract and/or management.

Crew schedulers are NOT out to make crew members work as much as possible. They are there to ensure the flights are staffed. The schedulig department does NOT control how many crew members are hired .. their job is to cover the flights with the staff available to them.

Blaming crew schdulers for things like long delays or having to resort to junior assignment is the same as passengers blaming gate agents for ATC delays to LGA or PHL

 

[gabby]

First of all, I admit that I dont' know anything about the operation at PSA, or their contracts, or their scheduling department. So, I am addressing this point more generaally.

It seems that no matter what the airline, crew members blame crew scheudling for their long workdays and bad trips.

Dont' blame the schedulers, they often have a very difficult job. They ensure all the flights are staffed, and that they are staffed withing the FAR and contract constraints--all the while, getting bitched at by people that make way more money than they do. If you feel contracts are unfair, don't blame the schedulers, blame the contract and/or management.

Crew schedulers are NOT out to make crew members work as much as possible. They are there to ensure the flights are staffed. The schedulig department does NOT control how many crew members are hired .. their job is to cover the flights with the staff available to them.

Blaming crew schdulers for things like long delays or having to resort to junior assignment is the same as passengers blaming gate agents for ATC delays to LGA or PHL

Yes that explains why we call to get a reserve time after asking for a late reserve start and get "Hot Reserve". Ask for a supervisor and they tell you to call back later because reserves for the next day have not yet been scheduled. So what is it?

How about getting 1 leg in a day? Oh boy nothing like making $22. What a waste of time. Thank you whoever is too blame.

Who ever schedules 7 legs in a day does not care about the safety of the crew or passengers. 7 legs is too much.

How about 4 hour sits? Yea its great to have 4 hours of our lives just wasted. Scheduling again.

How about "Continue Reserve" does that even exist? Nope, just something scheduling made up.

How about calling to Junior Man someone the day before. Another thing scheduling made up.

How about taking away full lines for IOE.

Do the schedulers go to work for 400 hrs a month and get paid for 72? Blame the contract all you want, this system of getting paid was written in a time when management understood the job we did. And knew that proper rest meant proper hotels and proper food. Want to treat me like crap then pay me for the 400 hrs i am away from home each month.

I understand that schedulers have to do what they have to do to do their jobs. But why is it we are the ones that have to suffer because they cannot communicate with management regarding the shortage.

 

[rjh]

Yes that explains why we call to get a reserve time after asking for a late reserve start and get "Hot Reserve". Ask for a supervisor and they tell you to call back later because reserves for the next day have not yet been scheduled. So what is it?

How about getting 1 leg in a day? Oh boy nothing like making $22. What a waste of time. Thank you whoever is too blame.

Who ever schedules 7 legs in a day does not care about the safety of the crew or passengers. 7 legs is too much.

How about 4 hour sits? Yea its great to have 4 hours of our lives just wasted. Scheduling again.

How about "Continue Reserve" does that even exist? Nope, just something scheduling made up.

How about calling to Junior Man someone the day before. Another thing scheduling made up.

How about taking away full lines for IOE.

Do the schedulers go to work for 400 hrs a month and get paid for 72? Blame the contract all you want, this system of getting paid was written in a time when management understood the job we did. And knew that proper rest meant proper hotels and proper food. Want to treat me like crap then pay me for the 400 hrs i am away from home each month.

I understand that schedulers have to do what they have to do to do their jobs. But why is it we are the ones that have to suffer because they cannot communicate with management regarding the shortage.

Again, I don't work for PSA so I can't address these issues specifically to PSA>

But 7 legs in a day? THat's probably scheduled because it's allowed by the contract. Again, scheduling doing what they can with available staff.

4 hour sit? Is that on a scheduled day? If so, that's probably the best schedule based on the schedule of flights, as well as best use of available resources. Again, if a 4 hour layover is allowed before a hotel is needed . .blame the contract. If the 4 hour sit is due to delays ..enough said.

Does the contact SPECIFICALLY forbid junior assigning the day before? If so, refuse the assignment based on that. (And on the note of junior assigning: get caller ID!)

And . .what about crew members calling to #### at schedulers because of delays? Or complaining about being junior assigned when the scheduler has no control over that? Yes, many scheduling problems are due to not enough employees--but it seems odd that sick calls go WAY up on holidays.

 

[LGA777]

Sounds like the crew schedulers are not to blame but the person/persons who build the crew schedules/lines/pairings etc. Someone should try and convince upper PSA managememt that that those person/persons should spend a few days flying the line in the jumpseat and another day or two in the crew room and if they have any kind of sole maybe, just maybe some changes "might" occurr.

Respectfully

LGA777

 

[oldiebutgoody]

Maybe its the folks that'll keep doing the job for this kind of remuneration that are to blame. Schedulers just have another crappy job too. Why does it seem that there's always some 20 year old just clamoring for these jobs. Management doesn't care if they have to upgrade guys with 500 hours. If the FAA says their legal, then so be it. ANY job in the airline industry is a sucky job right now; I can't see it getting any better any time soon. Yessirree! If you want to be away from home 25 days a month, work weekends and holidays all the time for a crappy wage, join the glamorous life of an aircrew member!

 

[rjh]

Sounds like the crew schedulers are not to blame but the person/persons who build the crew schedules/lines/pairings etc. Someone should try and convince upper PSA managememt that that those person/persons should spend a few days flying the line in the jumpseat and another day or two in the crew room and if they have any kind of sole maybe, just maybe some changes "might" occurr.

Respectfully

LGA777

Yes, in a way, that's probably true. However, the lines are probably built by a computer, programmed with the varioius FAR & contract parameters.

4-hour layovers are probably built when there is very little service to a particular city; the computer determines it's more economical to have the 4 hour layover as opposed to scheduling an overnight. The same goes with 1-leg and 7-leg days.

there are lots of things to blame with crew member's crappy schedules:

1. Management not hiring enough crew members. There's also the tricky balance of having enough reserves, but not having too many.

2. The way flight schedules are built; but again, those are built to maximize revenue & minimize loss. Do those in marketing make mistakes and make stupid schedules sometimes? Sure they do, we all make mistakes.

3. Yes, crew schedulers sometimes don't make the best decisions during irregular ops ..but during irregular ops, they have a limited time frame to make those decisions.

4. Sick calls-Yes, the vast majority of sick calls are legitimate. But we ALL also know that many sick calls are NOT legitimate--that's evidenced when junior assiging is needed on Christmas Day. First, Christmas Day is a lighter than normal flight schedule, AND the sick calls are typically much higher on that day.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Yes, in a way, that's probably true. However, the lines are probably built by a computer, programmed with the varioius FAR & contract parameters.

4-hour layovers are probably built when there is very little service to a particular city; the computer determines it's more economical to have the 4 hour layover as opposed to scheduling an overnight. The same goes with 1-leg and 7-leg days.

there are lots of things to blame with crew member's crappy schedules:

1. Management not hiring enough crew members. There's also the tricky balance of having enough reserves, but not having too many.

2. The way flight schedules are built; but again, those are built to maximize revenue & minimize loss. Do those in marketing make mistakes and make stupid schedules sometimes? Sure they do, we all make mistakes.

3. Yes, crew schedulers sometimes don't make the best decisions during irregular ops ..but during irregular ops, they have a limited time frame to make those decisions.

4. Sick calls-Yes, the vast majority of sick calls are legitimate. But we ALL also know that many sick calls are NOT legitimate--that's evidenced when junior assiging is needed on Christmas Day. First, Christmas Day is a lighter than normal flight schedule, AND the sick calls are typically much higher on that day.

For some one who never worked for or knows anything about PSA. You sure are quick to jump to conclusions that support management.

Did you ever consider not saying anything about things you know nothing about?

 

[rjh]

For some one who never worked for or knows anything about PSA. You sure are quick to jump to conclusions that support management.

Did you ever consider not saying anything about things you know nothing about?

As my eariler post stated, it was meant not specifically about PSA, but meant more a general comment--to support crew schedulers and NOT management. In an earlier post, it was said that scheduling does what they can to make crew members work as much as possible. I was refuting that statement. Maybe they do at PSA, but I doubt it.

Yes, schedules are written to get as much productivity as possible out of employees--that's the goal of every company. But do schedulers purposely reroute crew members, delay their trips, and junior assign them to be cruel? Ummm .no. THey do it to make sure the flights are staffed with the resources they have available, and within the constraints of the FAR's and the contracts.

And again, my post was meant in defense of crew schedulers in general. Did you ever consider reading back before replying to just one statement??