Atlas / Poar questions

[cfire]

ALPA, besides treating certain councils as second class citizens, they also choose favorites among the sub classes. Exampled by Atlas sister company/council Polar.

Polar is about one third the size of the Atlas council and their budget was almost one million last year while the Atlas council had to make due with a a fourth of that (@240K) for about 700 Atlas guys vs Polars 170. Most of that million was spent by Polar for expensive outside council (which ALPA has refused for Atlas grievances along with money). Polar grievances that would directly affect Atlas crews jobs by the way. When Atlas crews needed to grieve things, ALPA refused to finance them through arbitration demanding that we NEGOTIATE them in the next contract instead of enforcing our contract.

For the most part, ALPA has always been against ACMI carriers. It has only come to a breaking point with the Prater administration.

That is just one example. There are many more that I could give over my last 8 years of direct involvment.

 

[Colonel Savage]

ALPA, besides treating certain councils as second class citizens, they also choose favorites among the sub classes. Exampled by Atlas sister company/council Polar.

Polar is about one third the size of the Atlas council and their budget was almost one million last year while the Atlas council had to make due with a a fourth of that (@240K) for about 700 Atlas guys vs Polars 170. Most of that million was spent by Polar for expensive outside council (which ALPA has refused for Atlas grievances along with money). Polar grievances that would directly affect Atlas crews jobs by the way. When Atlas crews needed to grieve things, ALPA refused to finance them through arbitration demanding that we NEGOTIATE them in the next contract instead of enforcing our contract.

For the most part, ALPA has always been against ACMI carriers. It has only come to a breaking point with the Prater administration.

That is just one example. There are many more that I could give over my last 8 years of direct involvment.

What is your opinion of how IBT has represented the pilots of World and ABX?

 

[cfire]

I can't speak much on World, but we have a number of them at Atlas now from their past furloughs and they seem to think the World contract is superior and grievance support is better in comparison to the current situation at Atlas.

ABX is in a better position than Astar at the moment. They actually have some other flying in Japan though that doesn't help much. Just goes to show how temporary all of our jobs are when the company decides to change how things will work. ALPA had done a great PR move with the support of the Astar guys with lawsuits that will probably be lost. Maybe they will get some sort of settlement for them vs outright loss of a job with those efforts. Time will tell.

ABX and the IBT Airline Division has been lobbying in congress on fuel stability controls, the actions of DHL loadshedding jobs (by Dave Ross of IBT 1224 and the Airlines Division Dave Bourne) and airline crew needs in general. Believe you can find that on the Airline Division of the IBT page. ALPA are not the only ones. Alpa just spends more money on making sure their presence is known and has more members to advertise their actions to. I think the IBT actually beat ALPA to the punch on some of the issues in congress. At least some of their press releases came out before ALPA's.

Don't get me wrong, being a legacy carrier your doing great with ALPA. If not, you might want to look at options depending on your situation. ALPA does get selective on who they are going to support within their ranks. We have been living proof of that at Atlas. We spent more time fighting for support (money, lawyers, and etc.) than spending time fighting the company on issues. Also proves that if your MEC didn't vote for the current President that you go to the back of the line for support as is the case during the Prater term.

 

[pdub20s]

When Atlas crews needed to grieve things, ALPA refused to finance them through arbitration demanding that we NEGOTIATE them in the next contract instead of enforcing our contract.

Sounds like a problem with your LOCAL MEC. whats probs are you guy facing over at ATLAS?

 

[cfire]

That is the problem at Atlas. Might want to re-read the post.

Do tell how the Atlas MEC could have done more if they have to fight the ALPA Pres., the ALPA VP of Finance at every turn for any council support and the ALPA Executive Council unfilled promises of support? Paying about a million a year for expert outside council and general budget for Polar (at 170 guys) and cutting the Atlas (at 700 guys) council budget down to $@240K with use of only the handy ALPA lawyers doesn't seem equitable does it? Maybe it had something to do with who voted for the last ALPA President or maybe it was their collective hate for ACMI carriers?

I think the ONLY thing that got ALPA motivated to do ANYTHING for the Atlas Council was the atlasforteamsters.com movement to decertify ALPA. If you look back, you will see that is about the only time they initiate anything substantive for the Atlas council in years. ALPA had been supporting the Polar stalling of the current merger for about three years while fast tracking legacy carriers (i.e. NWA-DL). The Atlas for Teamsters push came and all of a sudden ALPA PUSHES THE ATLAS/POLAR MERGER onwards to attempt to keep them on the ALPA property.

Way to transparent for most folks.

 

[Colonel Savage]

...Paying about a million a year for expert outside council and general budget for Polar (at 170 guys) and cutting the Atlas (at 700 guys) council budget down to $@240K with use of only the handy ALPA lawyers doesn't seem equitable does it? Maybe it had something to do with who voted for the last ALPA President or maybe it was their collective hate for ACMI carriers?...The Atlas for Teamsters push came and all of a sudden ALPA PUSHES THE ATLAS/POLAR MERGER onwards to attempt to keep them on the ALPA property...

You made two good moves by a) Dumping ALPA and b) going with IBT. ALPA has become a totaly self-serving, politicaly motivated dinosaur that is well on its way to extinction. Atlas pilots were punished for not supporting a CAL SCAB for ALPA president. Says it all regarding how corrupt ALPA has become.

 

[spitfire1500]

Hi!

My buddy made about $65 his 1st year at Atlas.

That is "poor" ???

cliff
YIP
PS-They will hire you for Atlas/Polar. I think it is 99% Atlas now. STN is a paper base and they will fly you to your location via airline. They said to plan on NEVER leaving STN. That way, if you do, it's a bonus. If you don't, it's what they told U.

Can you actually live in the UK if you want? I have a Kiwi passport that may make the loopholes pretty easy to get through.

 

[GCD]

I am STN based and I have never been to STN. My trips nearly always start in PWK, RMS, FRA or AMS. The company gets me from my house to where my trip starts in coach class. After my trip starts, they have to DH me in business class or better.

Once, I had to do a last minute DH from FRA to KWI. There were no business class seats, so I had a first class seat (the only person in first) on Gulf Air. I had chapaigne all the way from FRA to Bahrain.

Even though I am second from the top of seniority in STN, I don't plan to leave the STN base. I have yet to pay tax on travel or hotels being based in STN. It ain't that bad being based in STN, if you know how to use the rules. Of course, you have to fly with some of the a-hole non-US guys based in STN.

The company really f'd up with that program because they are more militant than any union guy. I have seen them piss away a lot of company money by refusing to fly when it was legal to fly.

Also, to answer the last question, why would you want to live in the UK and pay UK taxes?