ALPA files for election at ATI

[PCL_128]

ALPA Requests Election to Represent ATI Pilots

On September 10, ALPA petitioned the National Mediation Board (NMB) for a representation election on behalf of the crewmembers of Air Transport International (ATI).

“We are impressed by the overwhelming majority of ATI crewmembers signing cards in favor of ALPA representation, and the dedication shown by their organizing committee,” said Capt. John Prater, president of ALPA. “We hope that the NMB election will result in a win for both ALPA and the ATI crewmembers. We will work hard to ensure our new members have the tools to become active, successful participants in our union after the election.”

A recent ATI Crewmembers for ALPA letter noted, “We believe it’s time to act to protect our careers and our contract. . . . We have determined that the IBT no longer has our best interests in mind, nor the tools to act on our interests even if they wanted to. We believe that the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, would be able to provide superior representation and other benefits, and we are asking you to join us in our efforts to make ALPA our representative.”

“The Capital Cargo crewmembers look forward to welcoming our brothers and sisters at ATI into ALPA,” said Capt. Andrew Forsythe, Capital Cargo MEC chairman. “We already share the same parent company and work for the same customer. It is now time to share the same union. Both crewmember groups are approaching the endgame of contract negotiations, and having both represented by the strongest, largest pilot union in the world only makes the two more solid and united.”

Both ATI and Capital Cargo are owned by ATSG (Air Transport Services Group). We anticipate that the NMB will announce dates for an election in approximately 30 days.

The 171 crewmembers of ATI fly Boeing 767 and McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft for passenger, military, and cargo operations around the world.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

AMR..... that is when we can be effective..... USAIR will be back in 5. Good luck with ATI.

 

[FastHap]

The best way for ATI pilots to protect their jobs and profession is remain teamsters.

 

[l8fr82hub]

The best way for ATI pilots to protect their jobs and profession is remain teamsters.

You must be an ABX guy.

 

[fob727]

The best way for ATI pilots to protect their jobs and profession is remain teamsters.

1224 has done soooo much!

 

[FastHap]

You must be an ABX guy.

You must be a Gene Sowell lackey.

 

[l8fr82hub]

You must be a Gene Sowell lackey.

My, what a witty comeback. Seriously though, the current head of local 747, an ABX guy, has made it abundantly clear that ATI crewmembers are not his first priority. So off we go to ALPA. Hopefully it won't take them another FIVE YEARS to renegotiate our contract.

 

[DC-9er]

1224 has done soooo much!

Astar. Still can't resist b itch ing about anything ABX

 

[MrSky]

The best way for ATI pilots to protect their jobs and profession is remain teamsters.

You are joking right, Teamsters have done NOTHING for ATI since they negotiated our last contract. They got their Dues, and they have sat on their hands since!

Goodbye Teamsters, Adiós 747

 

[b707guy]

I don't care who works for who, 747 wasn't getting the job done for us, and 1224 made it abundantly clear that our best interest wasn't foremost in their plan. ATI was viable when CHI bought us and we were viable when ABX Holdings (now ATSG) bought us as part of CHI. ABX (the airline) had their system pulled from under their feet. This has nothing to do with ABX the airline or the with the ABX crewmembers involved. This has to do with 1224's attempts at self preservation at our expense. I believe that we would have been happy to serve with 1224, but they attempted to call some shots and pull some strings that would have castrated our own EXCO even before they were in a position to do so. Homey don't play that.

 

[wickedride]

I don't care who works for who, 747 wasn't getting the job done for us, and 1224 made it abundantly clear that our best interest wasn't foremost in their plan. ATI was viable when CHI bought us and we were viable when ABX Holdings (now ATSG) bought us as part of CHI. ABX (the airline) had their system pulled from under their feet. This has nothing to do with ABX the airline or the with the ABX crewmembers involved. This has to do with 1224's attempts at self preservation at our expense. I believe that we would have been happy to serve with 1224, but they attempted to call some shots and pull some strings that would have castrated our own EXCO even before they were in a position to do so. Homey don't play that.

It doesn't help ABX (the airline or pilots) to have other ATSG carriers on the property flying their routes.

 

[l8fr82hub]

It doesn't help ABX (the airline or pilots) to have other ATSG carriers on the property flying their routes.

How do you define "their routes"?

 

[cfire]

Going ALPA would be ok if your a legacy (A carrier group). Since your not, you will probably try negotiating a contract only to have ALPA work behind your back with your company to close a deal to minimize ALPA's expenses. That's how it worked at Atlas, almost completely undermining the negotiating teams efforts. ALPA is more interested in your dues revenue stream at this point and not providing services. As a matter of fact, the current candidates in the upcoming ALPA presidential election are looking into ways of making the non-legacy groups pay extra for services that normally would have been paid for by your dues.

 

[b707guy]

It doesn't help ABX (the airline or pilots) to have other ATSG carriers on the property flying their routes.

But I guess it helps that ABX and Astar are flying out of TOL? Whose routes are those?

Something bigger is going on.

But back to the subject, none of us looks to ALPA as our savior and hero. We stuck with the devil we knew and continued to get burned. 1224 showed their colors before they even had a hook on our revenue stream. So we've elected to try a new evil. It is my hope and belief that at least ALPA's presence will result in a reasonable contract in much shorter order than what we've experienced so far 5 years into our two steps forward three steps back status quo. Then we'll deal with whether or not ALPA wants to help us down the road. Could it be worse than the representation we've "enjoyed" so far? Sure. But we're willing to give it a shot.

 

[fob727]

Astar. Still can't resist b itch ing about anything ABX

yeah, that's it....1224, helping the profession, what a joke

 

[wickedride]

But I guess it helps that ABX and Astar are flying out of TOL? Whose routes are those?

Something bigger is going on.

But back to the subject, none of us looks to ALPA as our savior and hero. We stuck with the devil we knew and continued to get burned. 1224 showed their colors before they even had a hook on our revenue stream. So we've elected to try a new evil. It is my hope and belief that at least ALPA's presence will result in a reasonable contract in much shorter order than what we've experienced so far 5 years into our two steps forward three steps back status quo. Then we'll deal with whether or not ALPA wants to help us down the road. Could it be worse than the representation we've "enjoyed" so far? Sure. But we're willing to give it a shot.

I did not know they were flying the BAX system. In that case I apoligize but I agree that "Something is rotten in Denmark"

 

[Cardinal]

Voting out Local 747 this spring was the greatest thing the Great Lakes pilot has done in the last decade. Whether or not 747 could acutally accomplish anything, the corruption and ineptitude had become a massive impediment to pilot unity. There was a crisis of confidence among the pilot group, and any effort was discounted at the outset because it bore the brand of a suspect organization. Only after Lakes decertified them did the trusteeship, and indictments occur. Vindication.

 

[hvydriver]

But I guess it helps that ABX and Astar are flying out of TOL? Whose routes are those?

707,

Not getting picky here, but you're neglecting to mention the 5 Cappys and 1 ATI DC8 on the ramp in CVG. It's an abortion of a mutual "block space" agreement between DB/DHL. And there are no Astar a/c going through TOL anymore. The only times lately that we did is while we still had the last B727 sitting hot standby. It flew quite a bit to TOL from what I saw on rescue missions for Cappy. I think what everyone either fails to realize, or just doesn't want to admit, is that there isn't any "our routes" stuff anymore for any one except Purples and Browns. (I know you didn't say that, just thought I'd toss in my .02.) Welcome to the brave new world of ACMI. It isn't worth it.

 

[b707guy]

No picky-ness noted, hvy and wicked! There are all kinds of things going on right under our noses that we're probably not aware of. I don't know where ABX goes from TOL - it may be simply a CVG connection or something Cappy had traditionally done. I don't know under what pretense or agreement our jet is doing in CVG. And I sure didn't know Cappy has 5 in CVG. All I knew about them is that they have twice the aircraft we have in TOL and every one of theirs is gone every night while there are at least 4 and up to 6 of ours sitting there during the day. There's a CVG connection that takes place frequently in ROC (usually a Cappy run) and also a DHL system connection in BFI, I think out of Vancouver, which is one of ours. How much for a peek into that crystal ball???

 

[hvydriver]

707,

There is no monetary reason why I will not hold forth on where I think DHL is headed. Let me go set up a Paypal account, ok?