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Question for AC Pilot's


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Guest croupier

By just switching to a preferential bidding system for AC flight attendants, an 8 to 9% increase in productivity can be achieved, translating in more than 30 million in savings. Just cannot understand the reluctance of AC’s management to switch to ex Cail’s SOLO system. Under this system one gets paid for what one works unlike their present line bid system.

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I'm sorry but...that might be WJ's stated market strategy but in effect they're nothing but cherry pickers...horn in on routes that either AC, CAI, CRA or Jazz pioneered and start cherry picking. There may be some rare exceptions, such as YHM, but that, IMHO, is WJ's strategy...stick it to CAI, and now AC by cherry-picking their routes.

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Should've read the entire post before reacting...
Re #2, you're right and WJ has done a masterful job of that. Many years ago, long before Hollis Harris, we had at AC what was called the "Power to Act" initiative. Lasted about 3 days before the micro-managing control freaks in management and at HQ widdled all over that concept from a great height. Maybe it's time to resurrect that idea. And by the way, to the non-lead Station Attendant who grabbed the wands and marshalled us in to gate 43 a couple of days ago, without the prescribed headset and fluorescent vest, so that we wouldn't sit off the gate burning fuel, "Good on ya mate!" That's what I mean by "The Power to Act."

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Having heard a personal account from the Chief Pilot regarding another pilot who did the same thing and received a small unpaid vacation for his trouble I strongly advise against this action as a "cost-saver".

If a station attendant puts on the vest and wands and marshals us in we don't really know that he's not a lead do we?

If the same attendant marshals us into the galley truck all the years cost-savings for such action are blown.

If they want to train all the attendants to marshal aircraft so be it - in the meantime you stick your neck out a mile by taxiing into the gate without a proper lead and the proper high vis equipment.

Last year we had 68 flap canoes damaged on airbus aircraft by contact with ground equipment/vehicles. Any savings by "power to act" improvisation is foolhardy at best - it costs us millions!

Cheers Chico

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I can't remember. Did the "Power to Act" initiative extend to ramp operations? As I recall it was primarily aimed at gate agents, FA's, or even pilots so that they could make on the spot decisions when dealing with passengers. I thought that it was the best intiative that the company ever came up with, and it would fit idealy into what Milton plans for the company IMHO.

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CC: Can't argue with your logic, and I acknowledge the correctness of what you say, but maybe you're speaking from a YWG perspective where it has always been my experience when I flew the mini-bus that the YWG ramp guys were 1st rate. But YYZ, especially T1, is a completely different kettle of fish. Half the time, even if the rampies are wearing the high-viz vests, you don't know if they're leads, because 60% of them don't use the headsets as mandated by Standards. Of course, this suggests even greater vigilance, which I do practise. However, I have held off the gate ad nauseam, a la Joe Schwark, until the guys were properly dressed and equipped, and all it got was p o'd passengers. STOC doesn't give a rat's a.. they seldom answer their radio anyway. What's a guy to do if you want to try to keep the operation going? The last time I complained to the STOC Manager that the "lead" hadn't used his headset as required, the response was, "Oh, he wasn't a lead." So much for your blessed standards.

I realize that there will have to be structural changes to the operation, but don't you taxi the aircraft into the gate at offline stations not knowing if the marshaller is a "lead?" You're assuming that the guy with the wands is a lead. Aren't you, therefore, also sticking your neck out a mile?

OK, suck back...reload...and fire away. By the way Greg, the "power to act" initiative applied, according to Claude Taylor, to all employees, all except those who like to follow the CYA philosophy, which is perhaps 85% of those at HQ. By the way, I would have preferred the term, "Authority to Act," because "authority" implies and presupposes accountability, whereas "power" implies capriciousness and non-accountability. And accountability seems to be a commodity that's in precious little supply these days; that and common sense.

Cheers.

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