I haven't seen a detailed transcript of the meeting but I have just seen my October roster (on holiday most of September) and I am happy with it. I am not part of the trial block roster system and have just the one positioning sector SIN/HKG, one augmented sector and quite a few operating sectors. I suffered considerable roster disruption in August but that was hardly the company's fault as a Captain had gone sick in JFK and I picked up the pieces.
I think Cargo Jocks points about staff travel are valid (if made a little aggressively) but it was obvious from the contract that commuting could be difficult and/or expensive and I can't see the justification of complaining about something that was very clearly explained prior to joining.
Everyones personal circumstances are different. So, you do your homework before you sign on the dotted line, and if you don't like the look of it you don't sign. It's not rocket science is it? It's maybe not the best job in the world but it's a helluva lot better than anything else I have had and, for the first time in 10 years, I am no longer actively scanning the back pages of Flight International.
If offered a contract to age 60/62/65 tomorrow I would be very happy to sign. It can be very easy to compare your lot to what you think mainline guys get. Bad idea. We signed a Cargo contract. Only if that contract is broken will we have a genuine grievance. As far as operating to AOCR's is concerned - well thats what we signed up for, and because of the nature of the Cargo patterns it may actually be "better" (in terms of operating sectors and salary) for us to operate that way.
I can't comment about the free beer and food laid on at the training centre as I was in the company of Left Coaster and a couple of other like minded individuals enjoying ribs, red wine and some great conversation at a restaurant by a canal in AMS at the time.
