Have you ever received a "letter of warning"?

Alchemy

Well-Known Member
Just curious how many pilots out there have ever received a letter or other such disciplinary action from their company? I have a feeling it's not too many.

I got one about 3 years ago and it still bothers me, even though I made sure it was taken out of my personell file after a year and the ACP issuing it to me did his best to make it seem like "no big deal". I feel like it will be held against me in the mind of management if I ever tried to be anything other than a regular line pilot. Call me immature, but I still think the reason for giving me one was BS too (released from duty, crew scheduling "changed their mind", I was already commuting home, got dinged because I didn't double check via telephone).

I wonder if that ACP even remembers; even with 1200 pilots in his base to deal with I'd imagine that he still does. Anyway, for some reason I've been thinking about it a lot lately even though i should probably just let it go, and was wondering if there's anybody else like me out there.
 
My employee file at Pinnacle was filled with them. I was ineligible for a checkairman position, but I never wanted that anyway. Future employers don't see them, so I never cared.
 
Mine was when I was an FO, flying to up to Escanaba. The VOR/DME was out at Escanaba it was a VFR-only airport on this fine winter day. So the captain and I got down to MVA a couple of passes, couldn't see the airport, held for a while until we thought the fuel was a little skosh and diverted to Marquette.

Now a ramper on the ground, untrained of course and looking straight up, said the airport was VFR and when we got back to MKE, we got called to the carpet about refusing to land under VFR at the airport... Because the ramper said the weather looked absolutely fine.

I can still hear the "Well, if you told the dispatcher to plan for more fuel, you could have held more and what if the weather had cleared as you turned toward MQT?"

Nothing ever came of it because they were actually after the captain but they couldn't throw the book at him without at least wagging their finger at me.

All of this was pre-union. Never again.

I got a letter of warning in my file, pending investigation but nothing ever happened. But not more than 8 months later, the same two guys who took the words of a ramper over our judgement and even MSP center hands me a resume that he asks about to drop off when I show up to ground school at Southernjets.

The nerve.

I still hold a grudge.
 
But not more than 8 months later, the same two guys who took the words of a ramper over our judgement and even MSP center hands me a resume that he asks about to drop off when I show up to ground school at Southernjets.

I think I would have burned that in some sort of ritualistic seance, or perhaps used it as a charmin substitute after an extra large bowl of 5 alarm chili w/ beans.
 
That or leave it on the floor of an adult video viewing booth! ;)
 
My employee file at Pinnacle was filled with them. I was ineligible for a checkairman position, but I never wanted that anyway. Future employers don't see them, so I never cared.

Pinnacle hands them out like candy. In fact, we just got a packet (I hate to call it a memo since it was like 10 pages) recently reminding us of all the disciplinary dealings for MT, lates, call in honests, absences, etc. Reading it again I was thinking "I'm working here WHY?" There are numerous instances where the company can "at their discretion" accelerate the discipline up to and including termination. Don't be late twice in twelve months to the point they have to remove your first leg. You can get fired for it. Seriously.

I got a letter in my box for calling in sick three times.....in nearly 3 years. The letter doesn't go in my personnel file, but flight ops keeps it for "tracking purposes." If I call in sick between now and the end of December, then I get a written letter of warning. I hate to keep referring to Disney, but you could call in sick there 12 times in a rolling 12 month period before getting any kind of discipline. It was 3 in 30 days, 9 in 90 days and 12 in 12 months. Here, it's 4 in 12 months.

On fatigue, if they deem that you call in a couple of times fatigued and they deem that it's not valid, you can be sent in for a "fitness for duty" examination. Also, now Crew Scheduling can code calling in sick after vacation or after trying to drop or swap a trip as a MT. Yeah, not a "sick call" but a MT. So, don't try to drop a day then actually be sick that day.

Sorry, I'm a little spun up about the BS policies that go around over here. And they wonder why 99% of us voted to tell them to shove it.
 
I got one for a no call back once while on reserve as an FO. After pulling the tapes it turns out they called (and left a message) three times on the wrong phone number. When they are trying to call me and the message says "hey, you've reached Bernice and I can't take your call right now", you've got to wonder a bit.
 
Thank goodness you had a system in place where you can challenge that, huh!

Can I get a "whut whut"? :)
 
I got one for a no call back once while on reserve as an FO. After pulling the tapes it turns out they called (and left a message) three times on the wrong phone number. When they are trying to call me and the message says "hey, you've reached Bernice and I can't take your call right now", you've got to wonder a bit.

Sorta related. I got called into the base manager's office once b/c scheduling called and left me a message that said "Hey. We've got a trip in open time and were wondering if we could put it on you. Call us back if you want it." Well, on was on reserve that day and busy playing Xbox. I'd rather sit at home and get paid rather than actually, well, work and get paid. Since they gave me the option, I didn't call them back. Next thing I know, I've got a MT for not calling them back. Pulled the tapes, and the base manager (former scheduling sup) and I were both like "Yeah, that's what he said." She said if it had been phrased that way to her, she would have assumed it was at my option as well. So, MT excused. I'm guessing it was a new scheduler. Most of them are pretty bitchy when they leave voicemails.
 
I gotta say I'm glad my company doesn't waste their time, our time, and innocent trees on silly things like LOWs. Personally I just think they keep a little black book with our names in it :D.
 
Just got a letter of correction (dumb situation that I don't feel like typing out), goes in the file for 2 years then expunged. No big deal. Union rep said be careful and don't do it again. No other consequences.
 
I almost got an Unavailable On Reserve (UOR) because in my base we have 2 rooms available to us, our main crew lounge with the lazyboys and TV and computers, phone and a smaller room adjacent to it with all the Jepps, v-files, etc. Well, I was on ready reserve and in the second room updating my Jepps and CFM (I got a little behind and figured ready reserve was a good way to get caught up) and crew stalkers try to call me for a trip, but here we're in like Basement level B-666 and there is zero cell coverage and I forgot there was no phone in the room. So, I noticed like 4 voicemails from them and started freaking out, as I'm on probation. I had to talk to the CP on duty (an a-lister) but the UOR got taken off.
 
I thought the "letter of warning" was pertaining to the ASAP program. Never gotten one of those but I have gotten the 4 occurrence call from the assistant chief pilot. Pretty much if you are sick or late or don't pick up your phone on reserve they all count as occurrences, some being worth more than others. Sick is 1, no call no show is 4 etc...

He called and when I picked up he stated that he was the assistant chief etc... and asked if I had a couple seconds. I said sure but just a couple as we just got cleared to position and hold. He flipped out for a few seconds until he realized I was kidding.
 
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