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7.29.15 – (LUS) – JIRC Weekly Update – PBS, CLT Base Meeting, Scheduling Consultant, Facebook, Bidding Strategy


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July 29, 2015


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JIRC Weekly Update

  • PBS Award Questions
  • CLT Base Meeting
  • New Scheduling Consultant
  • New Facebook Page
     

PBS Award

 
We continued looking at award questions through last week. Overall, there were 30 or fewer actual mis-awards that have been validated and corrected. Out of a total of 7,632 total active flight attendants for August in all 4 bases, 30 mis-awards are representative of 0.4% of the total awards. Having a mis-award is stressful and we work with each of those people to follow the contractual steps of handling a mis-award.

CLT Base Meeting

 
Despite a small turn out and a bit of an issue with the air conditioning, the meeting went very well and the JIRC was able to answer a large number of questions and get feedback on quite a few issues. If you would like to receive details of the meeting, you may contact CLT Base President Cathy Bossi ([email protected]).

New Scheduling Consultant

 
The Company and the Union have mutually hired a consultant to look at the overall scheduling processes and give a recommendation for solutions to solve the issues that have been present since the implementation of PBS, ISAP, ETB, etc. Roy Everett has 40+ years of experience with airline scheduling and PBS systems. After the JIRC’s initial face-to-face meeting with Mr. Everett we are confident that he will be able to make excellent recommendations to the Company and the Union in regards to possible changes to the system settings, pairing construction, and other scheduling functions that could bring about a more balanced and satisfactory scheduling process from the PBS award to ETB and ISAP flexibility. He is currently accessing the situation and gathering the needed information to create a recommendation.

The hiring of a consultant does not include the intent to remove any of the systems in place and he does not have any ability to make changes to the contractually regulated items. The intent of hiring Mr. Everett is to gain an outside perspective on ways that similar systems have been used successfully at other airlines and to find areas of improvement that could benefit these systems and create success with them for our airline.

Facebook Page: Tips from the JIRC

 
We are happy to announce that we have started a new Facebook page called Tips from the JIRC as a place for you to get credible and accurate information about how to bid using PBS. This is a Private Group and you must be approved in order to see the posts.

There are a few ground rules with this page that we need to lay out and make very clear:

  1. This is not a page to use to complain about PBS, ISAP, ETB, etc. There are plenty of other pages that give you that venue.
  2. This is not a page to get your specific bid questions answered. For those questions, please call the FARC – (480) 693-8232.
  3. This is not a page to attack your co-workers for having a different opinion.
  4. This is not a page for negativity or drama.

Social Media is an invaluable resource to get information out to Flight Attendants but there are some inherent problems with the anonymity that allows some people to feel they can say anything they want without consequences because they are behind a computer screen.

We would like to be able to share our knowledge and important information with you quickly and easily. Facebook is a great avenue for that as long as everyone remains respectful and kind to one another. Remember that this is a Union based page and inappropriate language, behavior and actions are not acceptable nor will they be allowed.

If this page is not respected we will be forced to remove it, which we do not want to do. So, please take advantage of the information we will be posting and keep all comments professional and courteous.

Tip of the Week: Math and Your Bid

 
For most of us, using math is not high on our list of favorite activities but when bidding in PBS, using math can be essential to a successful award.

Why is Math so important with PBS and Target Credit Range?

 
Math is crucial when using a Target Credit Range. It is important to add up all the possible Pairing combinations and have that reflect in your Target Credit Range bid. If the math does not add up, PBS has to go past your Layer 7 to fulfill your Line. Once the System bypasses your Layers, all Pairings not bid can be used and a Target Credit Range of 70-90 is the default.

Example:
FA bids a Target Credit Range of 98-110 and in all 7 Layers adds Specific Pairing ID’s worth 24:00 hours each, PBS cannot grant the chosen Target Credit Range.

24:00hrs X 4 pairings = 96:00
24:00hrs X 5 pairings= 120:00

Using these numbers, it is impossible to fulfill the Target Credit Range of 98-110.

Example:
FA bids a Target Credit Range of 80-85. Generic 3 Pairings are bid in Layers 1-7, worth 15:00 hours each.

15:00hrs X 3 pairings = 45:00
15:00hrs X 4 pairings= 60:00
15:00hrs X 5 pairings= 75:00
15:00hrs X 6 pairings= 90:00

Using these numbers, it is impossible to fulfill the Target Credit Range of 80-85.

*Note: It may be impossible to figure out every possible combination of pairings that you have bid but an easy way to figure it out is to add up the pairings worth the least amount of credit and use that number as your TCR minimum, then add up the pairings worth the most credit and that is your TCR maximum.

Example:
Bidding BCN and ATH in Layer 1.
BCN = 16:50hrs
ATH = 20:40hrs

16:50hrs X 4 pairings = 67:20hrs
20:40hrs X 4 pairings = 84:10hrs

So if you wanted 4 pairings (and your seniority could hold that) your TCR should be min-67:00, max-85:00. This allows PBS to award any combination of BCN and ATH trips you can hold.

16:50hrs X 5 pairings = 84:10hrs
20:40hrs X 5 pairings = 103:20hrs

In this case, if you wanted 5 pairings, your TCR should be min-84:00, max-105hrs.

Prefer Positions Order Clarification

 
There continues to be confusion about the Position Order Preference property and how it works.

Position Order DOES NOT consider whether someone junior to you bid a position you requested.

Position Order DOES look at each trip in your pairing pool, ONLY in the positions you have included.

PBS will find the pairing first, then consider your Position Order so if you have included FA,FB,FC,FK positions, Core and Extra pairings will be able to be awarded.

Example:

In Layer 1, PBS would see that pairing 73004/10Aug is open in the FD, FB, and FF position but this bid is only for the FB position.

In Layer 2, PBS would see that this bid now included the FD position, which is open.

Here is the most important part: Even though this bid also includes the FF position, which is also open and someone junior bid for the FD position, PBS DOES NOT take the junior bid into account when awarding 73004/10Aug in the FD position to this bidder. PBS goes through your position order in relation to each trip in your pairing pools to find which trips are open in positions that you are willing to work, in the order you have listed them. It awards the pairings in the order of the Prefer Position Order property, regardless of what anyone else has bid.

Reserve Tip of the Week: Bidding Strategy
A bidding strategy for days off is important to consider. Remember that all legalities must be honored, first and foremost but changing your Must Off requests may be a strategy that works for you.

Example:
Layer 1 bid Saturday’s as Must Off days. Layer 2 bid Friday’s as Must Off days. Layer 3 bid Thursdays as Must Off days.

If you cannot hold all Saturdays off, you may be able to hold all Fridays off. If you cannot hold all Fridays off, you may be able to hold all Thursdays off. It is not necessary to include all 11 days off in your bid; PBS will fill in the rest of your required days off based around which days you could hold off.

In Solidarity,

Laura Albert – PHL and DCA
Scott Barnes – PHX and the FARC (Flight Attendant Resource Center)
Emily Arner-Brown – CLT

About the JIRC:
The Joint Implementation Resolution Committee (JIRC) is a committee that was created by the current contract (the Redbook) to oversee the implementation of PBS.

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