To correct a misconception... our duty times start an hour or so prior to the first flight of a trip and end about 30 min to an hour after the last leg of the trip is completed. So that means we're on duty every momemt we're at the airport, at he hotel and of course airborne. This of course varies airline by airline... at mine we are required to report to the airport (at our base at the start of our trip) no later than 1 hour prior to departure time to update manuals and prepare for the flight. We don't start getting paid our hourly wage until that brake is released. We are legal to release the brake per company policies if doors are closed and we've called for a push. If we then sit, we sit, oh well. I'd love to get paid for those 530am walk arounds when its dark, 15 degrees, 20 mph winds and blowing snow. All the while you're sipping hot airline coffee or going back to sleep.

Alot of airlines have trip and duty rigs which makes things better but it still doesn't fully address the working for free issue. The set up we're pushing for in our new contract is something like... for every 3.75 hours we're on duty we get paid an hour of hourly wage.

So there are some provisions out there for some airlines but not all of them.

As for uniforms go... the company paid for half of my intial uniform and I paid the rest with $20 deductions from every paycheck for 9 months. Geez, you guys must think that everything is perfect as an airline employee!! What other misconceptions do you all have? =) All these things you guys are so surprised about are really normal among most airlines... and if you think CO and the rest of the majors have it bad? Talk to a regional airline employee (like me) and we'll share a few of the huge gaps between major airlines and us when it comes to everything from pay to hotels on the overnights.

Oh and by the way, just because a very large group of individuals work under a contract doesn't mean that everyone voted yes or was infavor of it. Some companies don't have memrat (member ratification) on contracts or other proposals. IN other words, it is like our governement. We elect officials to vote on issues for us... same thing with some union issues and contracts.

AZJ

[This message has been edited by azj (edited 10-01-2002).]

[This message has been edited by azj (edited 10-01-2002).]