Incident shows why FedEx pilots should make $250K

[TonyC]

Tony,
Will this result in a new avatar picture for ya?

If they had allowed cameras...





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[TonyC]

I get it. There's no need to be subtle. You think I'm just chompin' at the bit to cross a Polar picket line.

I guess you don't realize I have friends at Polar. Who could fault you?

Things at Atlas are fine. I don't understand why you're "rooting" for us. The Polar guys are really the ones who need everyone's support.

Good luck with your ALPA deal. I hope everything works out.

You don't expect me to give you a hug when you slam FedEx, do ya?



I'm sorry that you don't understand why we're rooting for you. We've been rooting for the pilots at Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings all along, and that includes the pilots at Atlas Air, Inc. and Polar Air Cargo, Inc. The pilots of Polar are clearly in self-help, and we obviously root for them. The pilots of Atlas are in a more complicated situation and difficult position, not being released to self-help, but being so closely tied to the pilots of Polar and the outcome of their contract negotiations. If ever there were a classic opportunity to whipsaw two employee groups, your company is it. We've been rooting for the pilots of Atlas Air, Inc. to do the right thing with respect to their fellow employees of AAWH, Inc. and fellow ALPA brethren. Now that the Atlas MEC has taken steps to affirm that Atlas pilots will not cross Polar picket lines, we continue to root for the pilots of Polar and Atlas.


Why? Since I'm not a pilot for either company, why do I care? I care because it's my industry, and what happens to you and your friends at Polar will have a direct impact on my career. Like it or not, acknowledge it or not, we are ALL in this together. If you fall flat on your faces, it will have a negative impact in the negotiating sessions at FedEx. And if you stand up for what is right, we will benefit from your fight.



Now, what is it you have against FedEx?





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[mar]

Dam this medium.

Look Tony. This thread was started in a fairly sarcastic vein. I was merely playing along to a certain extent.

I do have have a fairly pronounced bias against smugness which I perceive to be endemic to the FedEx group of freight dogs.

Formerly, the Kings of Smug were United but recently they've been brought to their knees and are a wee more humble these days.

With respect to the Atlas/Polar situation: I don't think this is the forum (or even the proper medium to seriously discuss what's happening).

I will say this: I was hired to fly Atlas aircraft and the company has asked nothing more of me.

I suppose I should thank you for your support but as far as I'm concerned it's a bit misplaced. As everyone agrees, it's Polar that deserves the support--exclusively.

Just a personal opinion, but I don't believe there will be any whipsaw. That's just union rhetoric.

And speaking of rhetoric, one really needs to filter the noise coming from AAWWH in order to understand what's happened with Polar.

Call me naive if you must but I've never been one to jump on the band wagon.

 

[SWA/FO]

What about the folks at Southwest? You pulling for us, too?

 

[klhoard]

What about the folks at Southwest? You pulling for us, too?

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Yes, believe it or not we're pulling for everyone out there. . . .
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[XShipRider]

Kmtc

About a month ago, Foxnews showed a live "emergency landing" of an F-15E at STL. Dude had a low oil pressure light or something like that in ONE of his TWO 35K lb thrust engines. Quite uneventful. Media coverage of "all things potentially disastrous that would make good TV" is getting waaaaay outta hand.

That jars a memory --- of all the F-4 emergency landings at KMTC - one
engine landings. Never made the news but we had at least two
"emergency" landings a weekend, every weekend. Emergency crews
rolling, SAR guard helo turning on the pad... never eventful (thank God).

 

[TonyC]

Maybe FedEx needs to save some money because of the 3 hull losses in the last 6 years or so.

"strong" and ALPA used in the same sentence? Now that weird!

What about the folks at Southwest? You pulling for us, too?

Yepp, even the pilots at Southwest. We don't hold it against them for having a bad apple or two amongst them - - all of our groups have a few.




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[stonewall]

Were any questions asked of Mr Smith at the shareholder's meeting? What are those things like, anyway?

 

[TonyC]

Look Tony. This thread was started in a fairly sarcastic vein. I was merely playing along to a certain extent.

If your first post was meant to be sarcasm, I apologize for not catching the tone. You know that the day you decide to come on over to Big Purple, all ya gotta do is say the word and I'll be in the chief pilot's office braggin' aboutcha!

I do have have a fairly pronounced bias against smugness which I perceive to be endemic to the FedEx group of freight dogs.

Formerly, the Kings of Smug were United but recently they've been brought to their knees and are a wee more humble these days.

I consider myself to be incredibly lucky, and I believe that the vast majority of my peers feel the same. There are a few posters who I believe to NOT be FedEx pilots that pose as such and provide flamebait (and cheap entertainment) on this board. I apologize for any smugness that you have perceived either from myself or from my peers. We realize that we are in no way immune from troubles that have beset other airlines and will continue to challenge us for as many years to come as we might pursue this career.

With respect to the Atlas/Polar situation: I don't think this is the forum (or even the proper medium to seriously discuss what's happening).

I will say this: I was hired to fly Atlas aircraft and the company has asked nothing more of me.

I suppose I should thank you for your support but as far as I'm concerned it's a bit misplaced. As everyone agrees, it's Polar that deserves the support--exclusively.

As long as Atlas only asks you to fly Atlas freight on that Atlas airplane (and by the way, which airplanes, exactly, are Atlas airplanes? Do the ones that Polar had until a few weeks ago count?) ... as long as Atlas only asks you to fly Atlas freight on Atlas airplanes, and as long as you can do that without crossing a Polar picket line, I guess your life will be pretty easy. I hope it works out that way for you.

Just a personal opinion, but I don't believe there will be any whipsaw. That's just union rhetoric.

And speaking of rhetoric, one really needs to filter the noise coming from AAWWH in order to understand what's happened with Polar.

Call me naive if you must but I've never been one to jump on the band wagon.

OK, you're naive.









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[TonyC]

Were any questions asked of Mr Smith at the shareholder's meeting? What are those things like, anyway?

It was actually pretty boring. It seemed like a mere formality to satisfy the SEC, as almost every word was scripted, and every vote was pre-counted. The brief meeting was followed by Mr. Smith's prepared remarks (the "FedEx is doing great" speech) and a couple of questions from the peanut gallery. He essentially dodged them both, and then some guy that drove through a driving rain from Shreveport took the microphone to tell Mr. Smith what a great company he thought we have.

He's right. We just need to fix a few things.


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[mar]

The Band Wagon

I consider myself to be incredily lucky,...

You might just be lucky.

But I'm the incredibly lucky one.

Don't worry about whose airplane is doing what with whom. It's a big pea and shell game that was designed to be as confusing as hell to all the players.

You have to watch them very carefully and if you just joined the game you're probably lost already.

But like I said, don't worry. I always do the right thing.

 

[SWA/FO]

Bad apple here...... Go ALPA! I can't wait until we get them on the property!

 

[Swede]

HAHA! The dreaded single-engine F15 landing! The book's standard procedure for any engine problem, at any weight, and any phase of flight, was "climb and investigate."

"Wow, catastophic right engine disintegration and fire at rotation! Better 'climb and investigate!' "

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Watching Fred Smith squirm and turn red in the face was worth every minute of it.










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TonyC.,

How about an updated avatar pic then ?

 

[TonyC]

TonyC.,

How about an updated avatar pic then ?

Asked and answered, your honor.


Refer to posts #42 and #44.





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[Rez O. Lewshun]

If they had allowed cameras...





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Anyone with RC-135U, V and W! time coulda gotten a pic. Hey, even if you got caught, what would "they" do? Take your stock away? A Letter of Charges would've been your honor!

Then again I'd love have an avatar pic of Tony C., being hauled away by the Lamar Security Agency of Greater Memphis.....

 

[TonyC]

Anyone with RC-135U, V and W! time coulda gotten a pic. Hey, even if you got caught, what would "they" do? Take your stock away? A Letter of Charges would've been your honor!

Then again I'd love have an avatar pic of Tony C., being hauled away by the Lamar Security Agency of Greater Memphis.....

Well, yanno, ya gotta pick yer battles. If it had just been up to me, I woulda tried to sneak a click or two. But I was there as a part of a larger group trying our best to draw attention without doing anything wrong. No spitting on the sidewalk, no jaywalking, no setting an empty water bottle on the sidewalk (littering) even for a second. We took pains to ensure everything was above board.

We had to pass through metal detectors of the airport security checkpoint variety before we entered the Grand Ballroom. All them guys standing around talking into their fists and playing with their earpieces coulda made a sneaky guy sweat.





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[klhoard]

. . .<snip>. . No spitting on the sidewalk, no jaywalking, no setting an empty water bottle on the sidewalk (littering) even for a second. We took pains to ensure everything was above board.
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That's funny. After all of the scare talk on the bus, the only cop I saw was the one joking, BS-ing, and bumming waters from our guys. All the rest were driving by on their regular beat.
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I think when you put our "rabble rousing" on the spectrum of crime here we just don't rate a second look from the constabulary. . .
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[Rez O. Lewshun]

Well, yanno, ya gotta pick yer battles. If it had just been up to me, I woulda tried to sneak a click or two. But I was there as a part of a larger group trying our best to draw attention without doing anything wrong. No spitting on the sidewalk, no jaywalking, no setting an empty water bottle on the sidewalk (littering) even for a second. We took pains to ensure everything was above board.

We had to pass through metal detectors of the airport security checkpoint variety before we entered the Grand Ballroom. All them guys standing around talking into their fists and playing with their earpieces coulda made a sneaky guy sweat.





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TonyC.,

Were pilot shareholders in the Ballroom in uniform....maybe even with hats?

Rez O.

 

[TonyC]

That's funny. After all of the scare talk on the bus, the only cop I saw was the one joking, BS-ing, and bumming waters from our guys. All the rest were driving by on their regular beat.
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I think when you put our "rabble rousing" on the spectrum of crime here we just don't rate a second look from the constabulary. . .

I don't really consider it scare talk so much as a reminder to everyone to be on their best behavior. It's a standard "brief" given each time we peacefully assemble. We get a permit, and we follow the laws to a tee. (Cindy Sheehan could take a lesson.)

For instance, it would have been more comfortable to stand in the grass immediately adjacent to the sidewalk on Democrat, but that would be considered trespassing. While it's not common to arrest someone for standing on the grass next to a sidewalk, it would have made for an embarrassing photo to have FedEx pilots arrested for trespassing when FedEx security decided to take advantage of an opportunity.


When we conducted informational picketing at the World Headquarters, the sidewalk was very small, and the security contingent was considerable. I understand that some members of the security force are deputized. When one of the local television outlets set up a camera a short distance from the curb in order to interview the MEC Chairman on camera, security immediately approached him and had him move the camera. I believe the would have been delighted to get a pilot littering, or spitting, or trespassing. Mind you, I'm less concerned about Memphis Police or Shelby County Sheriffs than I am about Fred's Mafia.

I've heard the spiel three times now, and I anticipate hearing it again. As long as we maintain the high road, we have nothing to worry about.








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