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On 9/9/2002 10:27:16 PM ual-crewdesk-man wrote:
Our manager said he heard a rumor that 250 pilots are going to be furloughed at the end of October. I don't know where he heard it from, but it's about time. There has been an excess of pilots for almost a year. How do I know this? For every 60 hour surplus line there is, that's one more pilot the company doesn't need. For those of you who are not aware of this "money-saving" idea, allow me to fill you in.
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Yes, please do oh omnipotent one! I see this is your first post here. Might I suggest that most people already knew there were surplus lines and they are a DIRECT result of the seniority within the industry and the company's bold move to ground two entire fleets of aircraft on the same day last October. However, to suggest it is some conspiracy by pilots to take 60 hours of pay for nothing is a little absurd. However, one always has to consider the source of such vitriole.
******************************************************************The summer of 2000 was, by far, the worst working summer of my life. Never have I been so mis-treated by so many people. And for what? The contract? I bet 99% of the pilots out there have no idea what is in the contract, besides the pay scale, of course. I don't know how many times I have heard, I can't read that thing, I'm not a lawyer. Well guess what, neither am I! But it is my job to know it. Ever heard of a WOCL?
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Ah, that did not take long! Let's see, for hours upon hours every day, you NORMALLY sit around gossiping and eating and fitting the occassional round peg in a round hole. To do this, you are required to have a basic understanding of Unimatic and Appollo and know the scheduling criteria in the contract. I would bet MOST crew desk people have no idea what is in the non-crew desk parts of the contract. Perhaps the fact that pilots already have a few THOUSAND pages of information they are LEGALLY required to have an understanding of is the reason SOME do not know the gory details of the contract? Or perhaps it is because the crew desk does not believe that what the contract SAYS is what it MEANS? We both know what I am talking about, so let's get off this shall we?
I would just like to know what the words any legal reserve means? Because the crew desk apparently think it means any legal reserve in the silo of our choosing. I have yet to see the extra language in the contract, but then, I am just one of those ignorant pilot types.
******************************************************************The pilots are 65% responsible for the current track we are on. Upper management, 30%. September 11, 2001, 5%. Our company was headed down long before that horrible day. It's too bad all those ESOP shares they all have are now worth nothing.
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Is this the new math? I would love to know how you came up with these numbers. As for the crack about the ESOP shares, they are probably what bought your job...You're welcome!
It is interesting to note the tenor and substance of this post. It is your first post on this forum, it is begun by floating a rumor most pilots think is probably true (although it might be December before it happens based on the last pilot surplus out of fleet/seat), but shortly after that the post turns into a diatribe against pilots for all and sundry....Pilots don't know the finer details of the scheduling section of their contract, sit at home doing nothing productive getting 60 hours pay, responsible for me having to work hard because they DID know they did NOT have to fly overtime during the Summer of 2000, they are 2/3 responsible for the current financial problems at UAL, and glad their multi-billion dollar investment to save the company in 1994 has dwindled to almost nothing.
All I can say is you need to take a break! And, THANK GOD you do not fly airplanes for a living, as you seem a little unbalanced.
However, you provide an excellent example of one of the WORST problems we have at UAL...namely, you went out of your way to come to an internet web forum to make your first post, which was solely to bad-mouth fellow employees because you saw an injustice for which they are completely NOT responsible. However, in your litle world of gossip on 3N, I am sure you are a hero and telling all your buddies!
Does anyone STILL wonder why the crew desk and pilots do not get along? CAN anyone give a few examples of the a-holes who are occasionally on the other end of the line when they pick up the phone at 0200? SHOULD it REALLY be necessary to have it written in your contract that the crew desk will NOT call you before 0700 unless it is required to get you to work on time? Should it really be necessary to tie changing the reserve system to one the crew desk can live with as part of the Economic Recovery Plan? Did the crew desk not get what THEY wanted in the contract negotiations and are now tasting blood in the water and using it as an excuse to gut the QWL items in the contract? SHOULD the crew desk be able to call me ON MY DAYS OFF to schedule me for flights? If I can quote chapter and verse of the contract to the scheduler to show why I should NOT be doing an assignment, should they be able to say we are going to force you to fly and you can grieve it later?? See, there are obviously two sides to everything. Unfortunately, you are oblivious to one of them. Thankfully, I have seen BOTH sides of this coin and there is plenty of grief to share by both sides. However, is THIS the place to get it off your chest????
Get a life, have another donut, spread some more gossip, and enjoy the 9/11 coverage. I hope you are feeling as smug when the pictures of the United pilots and flight attendants who lost their lives are shown, and their names read out on TV. I would watch it myself and remember them in my own private way, but I will be at 35,000 saying a little prayer for the ones I knew personally, hoping I can hold back the emotions while checking in with Cleveland Center at 0746 CST.
Over and out!
mancityfan