CAPT OF B737-200 DESCRIBES ALTDEV ON CLBOUT. DISCUSSES THE DEBILITATING EFFECTS OF A FINANCIALLY DISTRESSED ACR ON FLT CREW MORALE AND THE DISTRS TO COCKPIT DISCIPLINE WHICH RESULT.

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OUR ACFT WAS CLRED TO 12000 FT INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 13000 FT OUT OF ZZZ ON THE SID TRANSITION. IT TOOK MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO REACH CTR. FO STARTED TO GET ATIS FOR ZZZ1 AND WAS OFF THE PRIMARY RADIO. CTR XMITTED SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE CLRNC TO 13000 FT; BUT WAS IN FACT A TFC RPT INDICATING SAME DIRECTION TFC AT 13000 FT. I'M NOT SURE IF I RESPONDED CORRECTLY TO THAT XMISSION. WE PASSED 12000 FT FOR 13000 FT. AT 12800 FT; NOTICED AN ACFT AT 13000 FT AT 4 MI. WE INITIATED A DSCNT. AT THAT TIME CTR CALLED TO ADVISE US WE WERE NOT CLRED ABOVE 12000 FT; AND WE STATED WE WERE DSNDING. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ENSUED. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT I'VE FILLED OUT WAY TOO MANY OF THESE THINGS LATELY. AND ALTHOUGH THE PROFESSIONAL PLT IN ME CRINGES TO PRESENT A LIST OF EXCUSES WHEN THE FAULT RESTS SQUARELY WITH ME; THE SAFETY-PROPONENT IN ME NEEDS TO LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE BACKGND. I'M ONE OF ACR XXX'S PLT'S UNION OFFICERS. WITH THE BANKRUPTCY AND OTHER ISSUES WE'VE ALL BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY WITH DAILY CRISES; CONFERENCE CALLS; NEGOTIATIONS AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE. IN ADDITION; MORALE IS APPALLINGLY LOW AMONG THE EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW. ANY DAY I (AND OTHER UNION REPRESENTATIVES) SPEND FLYING IS LITERALLY FILLED WITH DOZENS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR SHOCKED AND ANGUISHED PLTS; FELLOW EMPLOYEES; AND PAX IN AN EFFORT TO REASSURE THEM THERE IS A FUTURE WITH OUR AIRLINE. I'VE TALKED WITH SEVERAL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SEEKING PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING HELP; AND OTHERS WHO ARE VERY ACTIVELY PURSUING ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT. THIS IS ROTTEN STUFF; AND THERE ARE NO BREAKS. ANY QUIET TIME AT WORK USUALLY COMES DURING FLT AFTER EXPLAINING TO THE FO WITH WHOM I'M FLYING THAT I NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING AND AM UNABLE TO DO TOO MUCH REASSURANCE REGARDING THE AIRLINE WHILE AIRBORNE. UNFORTUNATELY; I HAD NOT COMPLETED THAT DISCUSSION ON THIS DAY; AS THIS WAS OUR FIRST LEG AND WE WERE RUSHED ON DEP DUE TO PREFLT COMPLICATIONS. I WILL ENSURE THIS BECOMES PART OF MY STANDARD BRIEF FROM HERE ON. THE UNION OFFICERS AND NEGOTIATORS TRY TO GET RELEASED FROM FLYING WHEN THINGS GET COMPLICATED; BUT OBVIOUSLY HOME'S NOT MUCH BETTER; AS THE BULK OF OUR DAY IS SPENT ON THE PHONE AND COMPUTER. ALL I CAN SAY IS; WHEN WE ASK FOR TIME OFF; WE REALLY NEED IT. NO ONE TRIES TO BREAK ALTS AND ABORT TKOFS TO MAKE A POINT; SO PLEASE ACCEPT THIS STACK OF RPTS I'VE SENT YOUR WAY AS AN INDICATION THAT WHEN THE UNION OFFICERS ASK FOR TIME OF FROM WORK; IT'S REALLY FOR A REASON.