sherpa
Well-Known Member
MEC Addresses Issues Regarding Revised Fatigue Policy
Fellow Pilots,
We have received many calls and emails from pilots over the past few days and, like you, we are disappointed that the company decided to change the fatigue policy. MEC Chair Mark Segaloff and Central Air Safety Committee Chair Ken Nagel spoke with management prior to the release of the new policy and raised a number of objections, some of which were addressed by the company in the new policy. That said, we believe the new policy applies a blunt instrument to a very nuanced problem, and your MEC will continue to raise our strong objections to the revised policy as we work with management in the formation of the Fatigue Review Board.
Simply put, a just safety culture seeks to educate, not threaten. Your MEC believes that the new policy promotes the latter at the expense of the former. This FastRead addresses our position on this issue and seeks to educate the pilot group on proper use of the fatigue policy.
To date, the company has lived up to its word and NO ONE has been disciplined for a fatigue call. Going forward, NO ONE will be disciplined for a valid fatigue call. Even with this new policy in place, if there are underlying circumstances that aren’t apparent, it is imperative you let Crew Scheduling know immediately. For example: on layovers of more than 12 hours, if the fire alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m., and wakes you up, or if you are having trouble sleeping because of noise, do not allow the policy to deter you from calling in fatigued. Contact Scheduling and your chief pilot and explain the situation. If they give you an inadequate response, call your ALPA representative.
Unfortunately, there has been questionable use of the fatigue policy by a few pilots which has caused a knee-jerk reaction by management. Questionable use of this policy has and will only hurt your fellow pilots. Below are some specific examples provided to us in our discussion with management prior to the introduction of the new policy. (NOTE: while some of these examples are from flight attendants, this behavior should not be condoned by any Colgan employee):
§ A crew member posted on his/her Facebook account that he/she planned to call in fatigued upon arrival in base for the purpose of getting home early.
§ A crew member called in fatigued and then proceeded to remain in the crewroom for three hours AFTER the call, socializing with friends instead of seeking rest.
§ A crew member who was trying to commute home called Scheduling and asked to be released early from ready reserve. Scheduling denied the request and then the crew member called in fatigued approximately five minutes later, claiming he/she fell asleep in the terminal. (If you are fatigued, USE the fatigue policy. Do not attempt to seek release from duty first.)
§ A crew member had four days off, and after the first round-trip on day one of the pairing, the crew member called in fatigued. Upon looking at the pass travel history, it showed that the crew member was in Cancun for three days and commuted in from Cancun to start the pairing. (It is the company’s responsibility to provide a sufficient rest period; it is our job to properly utilize the rest period. Also, no matter where the commute is from, as professionals we are expected to show up fit to fly and ready for duty.)
§ A crew member called in fatigued for an assignment slated to begin the next day. Upon further investigation of the call, it was determined that a three-hour round trip drive the crew member had to make was a factor in calling in fatigued. (Even though this crew member was tired from making this drive, it is our responsibility to show up for work well rested and to help mitigate outside factors such as commutes. Also, utilizing the policy so far in advance was inappropriate.)
§ Numerous crew members have told Crew Scheduling that if extended, he/she is going to call in fatigued. (You should NEVER threaten to call in fatigued. If you are fatigued, just say you are fatigued. It is the company’s responsibility to prevent fatiguing scheduling practices, not ours as line pilots.)
The above illustrates a misunderstanding of the policy in some cases, and blatant abuse in other instances. The company unilaterally decided a change of policy was needed due to this. However, keep in mind that it is an interim policy, and we will have the opportunity to sit down together and take an in-depth look at revamping it. An effective fatigue policy accounts for the cumulative effects of fatigue and allows for underlying factors to be analyzed.
With all that said, the bottom line is if you are fatigued due to operational disruptions, junior manning, lack of adequate rest, etc., CALL IN FATIGUED! At the same time, do not abuse this policy that is in place to ensure SAFETY. It is not intended to make sure you can catch your commute home or provide an alternative to the proper use of your rest period.
Moreover, don’t confuse a fatigue call with a sick call. We know many of our pilots have young kids at home. If the child gets sick in the middle of the night, causing one stress, lack of sleep, and an inability to properly rest before showing up to work, in following with the FAA IMSAFE Checklist, a sick call would be more appropriate. As a reminder, the IMSAFE Checklist is:
I
ILLNESS
Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness?
M
MEDICATION
Have I been taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs?
S
STRESS
Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Worried about financial matters, health problems or family discord?
A
ALCOHOL
Have I been drinking within the last eight* hours? Within 24 hours?
F
FATIGUE
Am I tired and not adequately rested?
E
EATING
Am I adequately nourished?
*Colgan Air policy requires 12 hours prior to duty
We all have a professional responsibility to show up to work, well rested and ready to fly. Once at work, if there is a fatigue-inducing situation, do not hesitate to call in fatigued. Reference the company FOPPM as well for additional guidance on fatigue and recognizing fatigue symptoms.
The Colgan management team and your CJC MEC have continued to forge our working relationship with the goals of improved working conditions for our pilots and better productivity for the company, as well as improved crew usage and standardized practices in scheduling. Our ongoing scheduling issues are continuously being worked through the company’s Scheduling Department and our ALPA Scheduling Committee. We already have agreed to better line construction parameters that address fatigue; we still need to work on improving our day-to-day scheduling issues. Furthermore, our reserve pilot rules will go through a much-needed and long-overdue overhaul in the upcoming weeks which will provide for more standardization.
However, this is only a start. We have a long way to go. Crew members have misused the sick policy and fatigue policy at times due to various ineffective scheduling practices. A few examples of these ongoing fatigue-inducing scenarios:
1) The company policy that allows for moving days to be scheduled during your days off;
2) A pilot who reaches 30 hours in 7 days and is made to deadhead in the middle of the pairing instead of having the last round trip removed on the last day;
3) Eliminating days off in schedules for the purposes of ground or simulator training;
4) Ten days off per bid period for reserve holders.
In closing, we are confident that management understands that, in the end, it is not about covering trips—the safety of our crews and the flying public will always take precedence. We look forward to working with them to enhance our scheduling policies. This will lead to better working conditions that are both fair to our pilots as well as productive for the company.
The next step is for us to work with our management team and the USW to create a Fatigue Review Board that will look at questionable fatigue calls. Fatigue is not a black-and-white issue, therefore whenever a call is questionable, a fair and equitable process should be in place to provide guidance to the pilot and the company.
If any Colgan pilot has any questions or concerns, please call the MEC hotline at 1-877-MEC-CJC1 (1-877-632-2521).
The Colgan MEC
Fellow Pilots,
We have received many calls and emails from pilots over the past few days and, like you, we are disappointed that the company decided to change the fatigue policy. MEC Chair Mark Segaloff and Central Air Safety Committee Chair Ken Nagel spoke with management prior to the release of the new policy and raised a number of objections, some of which were addressed by the company in the new policy. That said, we believe the new policy applies a blunt instrument to a very nuanced problem, and your MEC will continue to raise our strong objections to the revised policy as we work with management in the formation of the Fatigue Review Board.
Simply put, a just safety culture seeks to educate, not threaten. Your MEC believes that the new policy promotes the latter at the expense of the former. This FastRead addresses our position on this issue and seeks to educate the pilot group on proper use of the fatigue policy.
To date, the company has lived up to its word and NO ONE has been disciplined for a fatigue call. Going forward, NO ONE will be disciplined for a valid fatigue call. Even with this new policy in place, if there are underlying circumstances that aren’t apparent, it is imperative you let Crew Scheduling know immediately. For example: on layovers of more than 12 hours, if the fire alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m., and wakes you up, or if you are having trouble sleeping because of noise, do not allow the policy to deter you from calling in fatigued. Contact Scheduling and your chief pilot and explain the situation. If they give you an inadequate response, call your ALPA representative.
Unfortunately, there has been questionable use of the fatigue policy by a few pilots which has caused a knee-jerk reaction by management. Questionable use of this policy has and will only hurt your fellow pilots. Below are some specific examples provided to us in our discussion with management prior to the introduction of the new policy. (NOTE: while some of these examples are from flight attendants, this behavior should not be condoned by any Colgan employee):
§ A crew member posted on his/her Facebook account that he/she planned to call in fatigued upon arrival in base for the purpose of getting home early.
§ A crew member called in fatigued and then proceeded to remain in the crewroom for three hours AFTER the call, socializing with friends instead of seeking rest.
§ A crew member who was trying to commute home called Scheduling and asked to be released early from ready reserve. Scheduling denied the request and then the crew member called in fatigued approximately five minutes later, claiming he/she fell asleep in the terminal. (If you are fatigued, USE the fatigue policy. Do not attempt to seek release from duty first.)
§ A crew member had four days off, and after the first round-trip on day one of the pairing, the crew member called in fatigued. Upon looking at the pass travel history, it showed that the crew member was in Cancun for three days and commuted in from Cancun to start the pairing. (It is the company’s responsibility to provide a sufficient rest period; it is our job to properly utilize the rest period. Also, no matter where the commute is from, as professionals we are expected to show up fit to fly and ready for duty.)
§ A crew member called in fatigued for an assignment slated to begin the next day. Upon further investigation of the call, it was determined that a three-hour round trip drive the crew member had to make was a factor in calling in fatigued. (Even though this crew member was tired from making this drive, it is our responsibility to show up for work well rested and to help mitigate outside factors such as commutes. Also, utilizing the policy so far in advance was inappropriate.)
§ Numerous crew members have told Crew Scheduling that if extended, he/she is going to call in fatigued. (You should NEVER threaten to call in fatigued. If you are fatigued, just say you are fatigued. It is the company’s responsibility to prevent fatiguing scheduling practices, not ours as line pilots.)
The above illustrates a misunderstanding of the policy in some cases, and blatant abuse in other instances. The company unilaterally decided a change of policy was needed due to this. However, keep in mind that it is an interim policy, and we will have the opportunity to sit down together and take an in-depth look at revamping it. An effective fatigue policy accounts for the cumulative effects of fatigue and allows for underlying factors to be analyzed.
With all that said, the bottom line is if you are fatigued due to operational disruptions, junior manning, lack of adequate rest, etc., CALL IN FATIGUED! At the same time, do not abuse this policy that is in place to ensure SAFETY. It is not intended to make sure you can catch your commute home or provide an alternative to the proper use of your rest period.
Moreover, don’t confuse a fatigue call with a sick call. We know many of our pilots have young kids at home. If the child gets sick in the middle of the night, causing one stress, lack of sleep, and an inability to properly rest before showing up to work, in following with the FAA IMSAFE Checklist, a sick call would be more appropriate. As a reminder, the IMSAFE Checklist is:
I
ILLNESS
Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness?
M
MEDICATION
Have I been taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs?
S
STRESS
Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Worried about financial matters, health problems or family discord?
A
ALCOHOL
Have I been drinking within the last eight* hours? Within 24 hours?
F
FATIGUE
Am I tired and not adequately rested?
E
EATING
Am I adequately nourished?
*Colgan Air policy requires 12 hours prior to duty
We all have a professional responsibility to show up to work, well rested and ready to fly. Once at work, if there is a fatigue-inducing situation, do not hesitate to call in fatigued. Reference the company FOPPM as well for additional guidance on fatigue and recognizing fatigue symptoms.
The Colgan management team and your CJC MEC have continued to forge our working relationship with the goals of improved working conditions for our pilots and better productivity for the company, as well as improved crew usage and standardized practices in scheduling. Our ongoing scheduling issues are continuously being worked through the company’s Scheduling Department and our ALPA Scheduling Committee. We already have agreed to better line construction parameters that address fatigue; we still need to work on improving our day-to-day scheduling issues. Furthermore, our reserve pilot rules will go through a much-needed and long-overdue overhaul in the upcoming weeks which will provide for more standardization.
However, this is only a start. We have a long way to go. Crew members have misused the sick policy and fatigue policy at times due to various ineffective scheduling practices. A few examples of these ongoing fatigue-inducing scenarios:
1) The company policy that allows for moving days to be scheduled during your days off;
2) A pilot who reaches 30 hours in 7 days and is made to deadhead in the middle of the pairing instead of having the last round trip removed on the last day;
3) Eliminating days off in schedules for the purposes of ground or simulator training;
4) Ten days off per bid period for reserve holders.
In closing, we are confident that management understands that, in the end, it is not about covering trips—the safety of our crews and the flying public will always take precedence. We look forward to working with them to enhance our scheduling policies. This will lead to better working conditions that are both fair to our pilots as well as productive for the company.
The next step is for us to work with our management team and the USW to create a Fatigue Review Board that will look at questionable fatigue calls. Fatigue is not a black-and-white issue, therefore whenever a call is questionable, a fair and equitable process should be in place to provide guidance to the pilot and the company.
If any Colgan pilot has any questions or concerns, please call the MEC hotline at 1-877-MEC-CJC1 (1-877-632-2521).
The Colgan MEC
