Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Astar/ABX -- Teamster or ALPA?

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Register   Log in
abxaviator said:
Don't forget the support of all the other DHL Teamsters.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

When you’re thinking about Teamster vs ALPA, think about this…

At many of the major US markets, the DHL guys who load and unload the airplanes, and the DHL employees who deliver the product, are Teamsters.

True, when DHL bought Airborne Express, they let go the whole lot of DHL employees who used to do that job and kept the Airborne Express drivers. Those old Airborne (now DHL) drivers are not all contract employees. At many of the major US cities, they are DHL employees, and they’re Teamsters.

Don’t discount what that means. The implication is extremely important, and served us ABX pilots very well over the last 26 years. Nobody can argue that ABX pilots have been amongst the best paid pilots for many years now. Now you know the reason.

We’ve never had to strike to get a decent contract, but the implications that were there if we did, spoke loudly in our favor. If you were threatening a strike, who would you rather have at your side? ALPA pilots from UAL, Delta patting you on the back, telling you they support your cause? Or the guys who actually unload your airplane and deliver the packages? (Trust me, if DHL suddenly brought in another airline with your freight, no Teamster would cross our picket line)

THAT, is reason #1 we’re all better off as Teamsters. There many more.
 
Cargoav8or said:
Alpa has a louder voice in gov't concerning airline business.
Click to expand...


Case in point: The age 65 rule change.

I don't want any of my dues going to anyone at ALPA National. I do, however, appreciate several aspects of Astar's contract (Upon cursory examination).
No furluough clause seems like a novel concept.
 
DirecTV with Sunday NFL Ticket on flat screen TV's in the café and in the crew room.

I can understand the concept of "power in numbers". But if it's such a great thing why are the UPS (IPA) pilots not aligned with the IBT.
 
Fly Astar Jets said:
I can understand the concept of "power in numbers". But if it's such a great thing why are the UPS (IPA) pilots not aligned with the IBT.
Click to expand...

Fair question. The UPS Teamster pilot union was actually installed by UPS management. The relationship between the two was a bit too cozy. That's not the case here, believe me.

When UPS pilots voted to go independent, I think ALPA got like two votes.
 
How big of a flat screen we talkin' bout'. I mean if it is a 32 incher you can keep it. Now if its a 60" this could be the start of a beautiful relationship...........
 
BH,

I'd have to get out the tape to be sure, but I think they're around 42". Could be a bit bigger than that, though. LCD is really nice.
 
I don't think they have ISF ABX. They do however, have the flux capacitor option.
 
What makes you think they'll merge you. Why not consolidate some ops then the crews against each other. Its the holding company thats doing the buying, true....false?
 
I think this thread is premature. My finance guy called me and told me to get ready to sell my ABX stock. He said that on Wall street when an informal offer to buy is made public it is intended to raise the stock price so the Execs can pull the ripcords of their golden parachutes. Then the deal is trashed and the stock price crashes and the remains are picked apart at a low price. Everyone wins. I think the cleansing process is far from over and as I understand it Joe is not ready to stop running an airline. The real question is what will be what will be left at the end, and what exactly will Joe be taking with him. I'm pretty sure Astar will never be teamsters but I like the free coke Machine. :o
 
Last edited:
right now I wish I was a member of the IPA...
 
Interesting thought. Looking back Daz has always talked about the "cleansing" of ABX before he did anything. Thought it odd that he would try to buy all of it, but then what do we know. I don't see a great future in 9s but that goes for B4s, 72s or 8s. I guess nothing is impossible.

The Market today says $7.99, were getting closer.
 
Last edited:
Classicdriver said:
What makes you think they'll merge you. Why not consolidate some ops then the crews against each other. Its the holding company thats doing the buying, true....false?
Click to expand...

What holding company? As far as I know and I may be wrong, Astar has no holding companies. ABX recently formed a holding company, but nobody knows why. Maybe Daz will buy ABX put the parts he wants from both airlines in it and sh$t everything else.

Booger I'm with you, I wish I were a member of the IPA to right now. We have had a few leave in the last couple of months and more on the way. Hope some of your guys have been putting out their trash. This ACMI business sucks!
 
Last edited:
Seriously, as a former regional pilot, I have a very bitter view of ALPA. Seems like we are in kind of the same boat as the regionals in respect to our size and position in the market. I always had a problem with the pilots from UAL, DAL, and at that time TWA making decisions for the combined union, which always favored the larger carriers. Teamsters are not perfect, far from it, but the level of support and the facilities we have built in ILN are excellent. Our staff is amazing. Don't forget there is a very large movement to unionize both the ground workers and the ABX mechanics. I have a feeling this announcement will speed that along.
 
Classicdriver said:
What makes you think they'll merge you. Why not consolidate some ops then the crews against each other. Its the holding company thats doing the buying, true....false?
Click to expand...

First off, its ABX that has the holding company, but its Astar (Dasburg) that is trying to buy ABX. And we think we would get merged because Dasburg said it himself in his letter to ABX’s BOD..

“Accordingly, we believe that we would well serve our respective shareholders and other stakeholders by exploring a potential merger between our two companies. We also believe that this should be done in an expeditious fashion so as to avoid unnecessary disruption of ABX's and ASTAR's employees, customers and businesses.”

The figure of 80-90 million in annual savings to DHL has been repeatedly tossed around as how much they’d save by having just one airline. Whatever the number is, it’s probably the driving reason why DHL is making this thing happen. We’re gonna get merged.

That said, this thing is far from a done deal. The price is too low (that’s not my opinion, that’s the markets opinion. ABXA is still trading at 8 bucks, a good premium over Dasburg’s offer) and Joe knows he’s on the way out; he’s going to want to take some 767s with him and do this ANA thing. (that part IS my opinion; I could be wrong) That was probably the original intent of the new ABX Holdings. He’s going to split off as much as he can get away with and start fresh in Japan. If I’m right, a bunch of us at ABX could have a big decision to make.
 
ABXbooger said:
Seriously, as a former regional pilot, I have a very bitter view of ALPA. Seems like we are in kind of the same boat as the regionals in respect to our size and position in the market. I always had a problem with the pilots from UAL, DAL, and at that time TWA making decisions for the combined union, which always favored the larger carriers. Teamsters are not perfect, far from it, but the level of support and the facilities we have built in ILN are excellent. Our staff is amazing. Don't forget there is a very large movement to unionize both the ground workers and the ABX mechanics. I have a feeling this announcement will speed that along.
Click to expand...

My biggest problem with Teamsters is your problem with ALPA. I have a feeling that they will pay more attention to the big money. That being from maids, truck drivers, doc workers. I think their airline division is way to small. There is a lot more going on outside ILN and I want my union to be a part of that. Especially with the open skies movement, etc... Are the teamsters back into the AFLCIO. I suspect they are not playing nice,nice with the folks in Washington. As pilots we need all the help we can get.

We can still have a good working relationship with the other unions on the field and achieve the same results. The one we have with the 1224 needs to change and fast before to many get left out in the cold.

ONE VOICE.
 
Cargoav8or said:
Alpa has a louder voice in gov't concerning airline business.
Click to expand...
I don’t think so. Ask some of our gov’t affairs committee members about the reception they get in congressional offices. One of em tells a story about how a bunch of pilots were meeting with various congressmen on some issue. When they were introduced to one of the congressmen in his office, as soon as our guy said he represented Teamsters, the congressman grabbed his hand, pulled him past all the ALPA guys, and sat him down in front. It seems the Teamsters could swing quite a few more votes in the congressman’s district than ALPA. That’ll be true in every congressional district.
We all know money talks in Congress. I don’t know for sure, but I’ll bet the Teamster lobby has more $$ than the ALPA lobby.
 

Share this page

Latest posts

Latest resources

Latest media

Carbon Cub FX-3 Shenandoah Valley
Carbon Cub at Kittyhawk
FX-3 in the backcountry
IFR Panel in a Carbon Cub FX-3
Cub-Provo-UT-c.jpg
Back
Top Bottom