Folks, just two simple, objective questions here. Aside from United's problems, is it not true that during that infamous summer, United's pilots decided to fly only their planned monthly schedules, and not volunteer to fly extra? I know nothing about their MEC's other decisions, whether considered reasonable or not. But there is evidence that they warned mgmt numerous times about a worsening staff shortage problem, to no avail.
Are your days off yours, or are they are not? Excluding pilots on reserve/standby, whose contracts sometimes allow them to be drafted for extra flying on a day off.
This is just a simple question, and if my airline asked me to fly an extra one-day trip on a certain weekend (or two?) which I had bid around, in order to spend it with a young family member who will be gone to college in a few years, then my decision is not difficult to imagine. Anyone who claims that any days off should be 'fair game' for an employer is either insincere, or should not be involved in business decisions, at least outside of Iraq.
Under-staffing has been the nature of operations for many years at FEDEX and Southwest, in order to reduce the need for extra pilots, which cost more than paying somebody an extra "trip" or one and a half times the normal pay rate as incentive. This extra flying is supposedly the only way that the newer SWA pilots can find any money for their retirement funds.
Last edited by Ignition Override; 18th Feb 2003 at 04:28.