Polar Air Cargo, 30 days out from possible strike.

[treetopflyer]

anyone have confirmation of this??


got some friends on the polar side and that sucks if it is true.

 

[Digital]

Seems like a poor move on the company's part!

If you fire 50 guy's which are on probation. Most likely the majority of those guys would not return. At least I wouldn't. The cost would be astounding to the company when negotiations were completed. You would not face only the cost of retraining "X" amount of crews, but you would struggle to recover the lost revenue while the needed crews came up to speed. And I guarentee that the senior guys would not be bought by overtime after such tactics against there fellow pilots had been taken. Just my thoughts.. Sounds like you guys have a fairly cohesive group. I truly wish you all the best!! These things tend to get pretty messy before they begin to turn. Again, good luck!

 

[1800 RVR]

Atlas Mangement is in the process today of notifying probationary crew members in the Polar side that they are FIRED. Atlas management is using this strategy during the 30 day cooling off period to strike fear into the pilot group.

There are about 50+ pilots at Polar that are still on probabtion, and they are all being fired as of today....just because they can.

Gotta love this biz.

You've gotta be sh*ttin' me? What a new low by a management group, if it is true!

 

[I.P. Freley]

I heard a rumor of this last week, but after speaking to a friend of mine today at Polar (who is not on probation) he made no mention of this threat materializing.

Can anyone confirm?

 

[rudderdog]

A friend at Polar was "fired" today. He has been there about 6 months and was told to expect an Atlas class in a few weeks. Seems they are trying to get a "short course" (a week or so) approved by the FAA.

Also.....it appears that he will be placed on the BOTTOM of the seniority list for now as the merger is on hold. Hopefully, when it's all over and the merger is back on, the negotiations will provide these guys with some restitution....in the form of seniority.

Just when you think you've seen it all.

 

[bman]

oh its true!

But come on does it surprise anyone?! R U Kiddin?!

Here's the deal the Polar fleet will be reduced from 12 to 9 over the next few weeks. Which means furloughs and downgrades at Polar in both fleet types effective immediately. Mgmt says we been takin it in the poop shoot on scheduled service due to the rising price of fuel (Usually these guys play loose and fast with the truth, but this I believe). ACMI can shield a company from some market flux with fuel. Polar is the scheduled side of the house so those planes are being returned to Atlas with one 200 being sold.

Polar cats have been up in arms and really vocal about their position (oh the much coveted China route authority. its authority boys they aint gotta operate those routes), but the situation is totally not in their favor. Carrier in a carrier operations always weaken the negotiating position of the labor force. And Atlas has been hiring full bore.

Guys pay attention Mgmt ain't stupid they plan this S$#t. This isn't europe where unions still matter. Look at NWA AMFA they are gonna get layed off or fired strike or no stike its a done deal. It sux but these are the realties that we live with. Labor law in this country has been Evicerated and continues to be so (we know by whom too!)

I feel really bad for my friends at Polar and I have friends there. This will get worse before it gets better

 

[Capt.LongThrust]

Rudderdog,

Looks like we dodged a bullet on that one. Wow just when you think management can't get any $hittier, another management team comes along and trumps them. Hopefully every one of those 50 guys leave and hose that whole operation. People that pull that kind of thing should be behind bars.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

So far only the 400 drivers have been fired, no calls to the classic crews yet......yet. Probably coming tomorrow.

Looks like it will come down to the Atlas MEC and if they support the Polar side.....which they should since their contract is up in January and they have to fight this very same fight next year. If they do not, I am sure the company will do the very same thing to them and transfer flying away from their crews and start the mass firings.

Interesting times.....getting the popcorn out to watch.


It does set a new low for managment types for sure.

 

[RideandDrive]

They fired all of the probationary -400 pilots (basically everyone hired from February 2005) today.

I know...I was one of them.

 

[I.P. Freley]

Yikes... So how many people is that? 50?