ABX furloughs 12

[Clipperskip]

Clipperskip,

I agree with both you and goAstar that we need to band together. With that said, and I do not mean this as a slam against ABX Air, you summed up the main problem perfectly. The ground delivery system is a shambles. However, that system is the one that Airborne Express was using. DHL took ABX's word that it was a good system, and slapped a coat of yellow paint on it. They are going to have to figure out how to fix it. It's too bad that DHL fired over 3000 folks when they bought ABX. They should have kept them on. At least there would have been some semblance of a ground delivery network. Where they can go from here, I have no idea. One thing is for sure. This ain't a good situation for either us, or you.

Hvydriver,

You are right that they should have keep the DHL delivery people. Those of us at ABX have known that using these contractors presented more problems than they were worth. I was personally hoping that when DHL announced the buyout that they eliminate to the contractor problem. Boy was I surprised when they fired the DHL people, embraced the contractor idea and then bragged about their high service levels in a barage of TV commercials that cost millions of dollars. What a joke. For the cost of one primetime network commercial DHL could have made up the difference in the cost between the contractors and the former DHL employees they fired. Pretty short sighted.

 

[hvydriver]

>Pretty short sighted.<

I agree.

 

[av8rnate]

abxaviator,

My apologies for appearing to be rude, that wasn't my intention. I was just curious. That CP was killed in the DC-8 accident your company had in 1996.

 

[erichartmann]

Clipperskip,

I agree with both you and goAstar that we need to band together. With that said, and I do not mean this as a slam against ABX Air, you summed up the main problem perfectly. The ground delivery system is a shambles. However, that system is the one that Airborne Express was using. DHL took ABX's word that it was a good system, and slapped a coat of yellow paint on it. They are going to have to figure out how to fix it. It's too bad that DHL fired over 3000 folks when they bought ABX. They should have kept them on. At least there would have been some semblance of a ground delivery network. Where they can go from here, I have no idea. One thing is for sure. This ain't a good situation for either us, or you.

DHL did NOT buy ABX. DHL bought Airborne Inc., which was the parent company of Airborne Express (formerly Airborne Freight) and ABX Air. We at ABX felt the same way about the IC's then and now. It is worth noting, however, that bad as that system was, it is worse now.

 

[abxaviator]

New Proffer out today, four 767 crews to start July 5. Perhaps yesterday's meetings will bear a positive result?

 

[federico]

Maybe Kitty Hawk Lax run is the issue

 

[abxaviator]

Nah, just 5 more 767 deliveries this year, the rest of the Delta birds in '07 & '08 and rumors of 12 more acquistions in the works.

 

[abxaviator]

"Super-Bid" due out today! 767 classes through November. Perhaps the 2nd Officers will be off the chopping block?

 

[Jurassic Jet]

Daammmnnn.. 16 CA's and 14 FO's. Just posted.

 

[1800 RVR]

Daammmnnn.. 16 CA's and 14 FO's. Just posted.

Is that good or bad? Hopefully good for the recently announced furloughs.

 

[GoABX]

Given our recent history in unity, I guess it would be asking too much for 5 to go unbid so they fall to the S/O's. Hopefully, the company would be merciful enough to have a small 9FO proffer.

Was the 16 by 14 a one classer or multiple classes over the remainder of the year? IF it was a multi-proffer that is interesting as they haven't done that before..what might the strategy be? My 1st guess would be they really need the people and they only want to give 1 shot to the PFEs who might have a lesser probability of completion. Or maybe a deal was struck with the union to help those S/O's

 

[Jurassic Jet]

Given our recent history in unity, I guess it would be asking too much for 5 to go unbid so they fall to the S/O's. Hopefully, the company would be merciful enough to have a small 9FO proffer.

Was the 16 by 14 a one classer or multiple classes over the remainder of the year? IF it was a multi-proffer that is interesting as they haven't done that before..what might the strategy be? My 1st guess would be they really need the people and they only want to give 1 shot to the PFEs who might have a lesser probability of completion. Or maybe a deal was struck with the union to help those S/O's

The breakdown is as follows:

4 CA 4 FO on July 5 (This one was already out there)

3 CA 3 FO on Aug 7

3 CA 3 FO on Sep 5

3 CA 3 FO on Oct 2

3 CA 1 FO on Oct 30

 

[GoABX]

It is actually a bid of 12/10 becuase proffer 6-03 had been out for a while anyway upgrades for 30 people equates to movement by over 4% of the seniority list. Due to staffing in the 8&9 there will probably be little secondary movement.

With all the proffers closing on 6/22, there might be a better chance of something trickling down due to non-bid. Good luck furloughees! It will be interesting to see if there is a stampeed off the 8 or if majority holds on till the bitter end

 

[abxaviator]

I don't really think there will be non-bid postions, but the union is trying to work with the company to keep the 4 SO's on the property; the 5th SO is a retired 8 Capt, so he'll be done.

 

[Clipperskip]

The S/O's

It is actually a bid of 12/10 becuase proffer 6-03 had been out for a while anyway upgrades for 30 people equates to movement by over 4% of the seniority list. Due to staffing in the 8&9 there will probably be little secondary movement.

With all the proffers closing on 6/22, there might be a better chance of something trickling down due to non-bid. Good luck furloughees! It will be interesting to see if there is a stampeed off the 8 or if majority holds on till the bitter end

It looks like the company is trying to help the 4 affected DC-8 S/O's. They said they're expecting another B767 proffer for December 2006 on top of the 5 proffers already posted and then monthly proffers for Jan 07 through June 07. There should be more than enough to keep 4 DC-8 S/O's busy. There should be a lot of positions open up on the DC-9 as well. Good Luck to all!

 

[B737Dvr]

staffing

So with the next proffer for a dec class and then monthlies from jan 07 till june 07, will that keep all from being furloughed? How is ABXA's crew staffing compare with these possible monthly classes? Will they have to hire for that next year or is there enough on the property already?

 

[LarryinTN]

It won't stop them from furloughing PFEs who aren't qualified to upgrade. I hear that three of the seven affected PFEs are going to try to upgrade. The success rate has been rather low, however. The first groups to upgrade did pretty well but the last few groups have had a lot of problems.

 

[Clipperskip]

furloughs?

So with the next proffer for a dec class and then monthlies from jan 07 till june 07, will that keep all from being furloughed? How is ABXA's crew staffing compare with these possible monthly classes? Will they have to hire for that next year or is there enough on the property already?

LJ is right that the growth on the B767 and all of these proffers will not help the non-pilot qualified PFE's but hopefully everyone else will be protected. Apparantly Hete has realized that they are presently short crews in the B767 and they want to fix the problem. They have been so short that they have had to take some, if not all, of the B767 Flight Standards Training Pilots and send them to MIA to fly line charter trips. This temporarily stopped the training cycle. Not good if you are already behind. It looks like the union and the company are working together in order to get the present charter flying and the flight training completed. This might take some short term compromises on both the union and manangement side in order to achieve our collective long term goals. I think that they may be trying to work out a short term IRO agreement until the permanant language is addressed in our next CBA. We presently have none and it is making the crewing of the long South American charters more challenging.

 

[DC-9er]

Given our recent history in unity, I guess it would be asking too much for 5 to go unbid so they fall to the S/O's.

No, not asking too much at all! After all, I only took this job to hold a spot until YOU got hired! Why on earth should I take the upgrade?? Even more, I'll move out to make room in my house for you while you're in training and on reserve! I'll keep making the payments with the salary I made while I selfishly held what is really YOUR job! You can use my wife, too! I found her first, but anything in the name of UNITY!!

 

[abxaviator]

Ouch!!!