Polar Air Cargo, 30 days out from possible strike.

[User Name]

Not fun...

All true. A lot of people are getting caught up in some history too. Apparently when Atlas was in negotiations a couple years ago, Polar was quite open about flying Atlas' struck work - if the Atlas guys were to strike. Not a precedent to set. Management played the same game and took Atlas planes over to Polar, now Atlas is getting the planes back. Who the hell knows what will happen when Atlas pilots have to negotiate in a year or so. Any insight into the above history would be appreciated from more experienced collegues, I am quite naive about it all being a new guy at Atlas. Worst case for Polar crew is a "merger" by management - all planes come to Atlas or are sold and bye-bye Polar with hiring preference to Polar pilots and of course to the bottom of seniority at Atlas. That last scenario is all speculation, but within the realm of reality. Best wishes to all.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

It is my understanding that the Narita slots are POLAR only and ATLAS is NOT allowed to fly them, is that correct and are the China slots the same way?

 

[Whale Rider]

Its amazing how the critics here have failed to point to out the contract fact that No Polar pilot can be furloughed as long as there is an Atlas pilot flying Polar planes on Polar routes. Speaking of routes, those contracts in China, Korea, Japan, and the military contracts are non-transferrable. If anyone else flies them they will loose them up to a rebid amongst the cargo carriers. Just because of current events, Polar is not fininshed yet. No speculation, these are facts.

Stay United Polar!!!!!

 

[rtmcfi]

Atlas folks-
Help out the Polar guys. You are next.....

 

[rudderdog]

Atlas folks-
Help out the Polar guys. You are next.....

I would expect this, especially if Atlas is ALPA as opposed to the APA.

 

[b747dogg]

Atlas folks-
Help out the Polar guys. You are next.....

Polar guys should of thought of this when they sold out the Atlas guys in the 11th hour. It's Karma!!!

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Polar guys should of thought of this when they sold out the Atlas guys in the 11th hour. It's Karma!!!

Thats the way you are going to beat a common enemy............turn your guns on your allies.


The past is the past, different MEC's now and probably half the sen list wasn't around back then. A lot has changed since then, common managment now, common ground staff etc...in fact about the only thing not merged yet is the crews. If Polar gets boned now and ends up with a very substandard contract, Which contract do you think is going to be the one that Managment wants for the combined carrier?

Kind of like if we told the British to stuff IT back in 42.......sorry we got the Japanese to deal with, plus we are still mad about that whole War of 1812 thing.....how dare you burn down the White House!!!!

 

[Fliteidol]

Are the Atlas/Polar MEC`s talking to each other? Was the "interim" offer from managment proposed to or voted on by the membership or was there a standing order to reject it if it did not meet certain and all criteria? Firing 50 type rated (50 x $$$$$$$) pilots seems extreme to me, very sad!

 

[410dude]

I heard from some UPS guys just the other day that the rumor of them buying Polar is alive and well again. This time it could have some merit with them about to strike. Actually they said UPS just wants the -400s and nothing else.

 

[Fliteidol]

Fu*k off 410Dope, the adults are talking!

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Are the Atlas/Polar MEC`s talking to each other? Was the "interim" offer from managment proposed to or voted on by the membership or was there a standing order to reject it if it did not meet certain and all criteria? Firing 50 type rated (50 x $$$$$$$) pilots seems extreme to me, very sad!

Press release says that the MEC was going to agree to release the last proposal to the membership for a vote (10.5 % increase in pay, which is still roughly 20% less than the Atlas current contract). Their only stipulation was that there was a clause to prevent any aircraft being transferred to Atlas prior to the merger and that they would not recommend one way or another as how the pilots should vote.

The company would not agree to these items and they fired the pilots the next day.

Seems odd for the company to do that, it really serves no purpose except to throw gas on the situation and throw away pilots that they spent large sums of money on type rating. The guys fired have no vote on the T/A anyhow, and all they have done is made enemies of all their newhires.

If it is a scare tactic to maybe try to get the remaining newhires to cross the picket line in the case of a strike, that is counterproductive also, probably 90% of the newbies are guys that got furloughed or screwed out of retirements at their previous airlines and have absolutly no love for draconian managment tactics anyhow, not to mention mass firings prior to any type of job action.

Seems to me to be a case of managment blowing off their nad sack just to spite the girl that wouldn't dance with them at the club!

 

[GogglesPisano]

Man this sucks. Classic whipsaw. If management is capable of treating their pilots like this ....

 

[treetopflyer]

Man this sucks. Classic whipsaw. If management is capable of treating their pilots like this ....

whats that supposed to mean?

besides, you senior guys at INDY were real quick to vote for pay cuts on the RJ to finance your new bigger paychecks on the BUS. you should be used to the whipsaw.

 

[GogglesPisano]

whats that supposed to mean?

besides, you senior guys at INDY were real quick to vote for pay cuts on the RJ to finance your new bigger paychecks on the BUS. you should be used to the whipsaw.

It means that the management at Polar is setting a new low by pre-emptively firing probationary pilots before there is even a strike. As far as Indy goes, what exactly does it have to do with the price of tea in China?

Are you defending Polar management?

PS: I'm not senior and will probably be on the street soon.

 

[HAL]

Is it true that the fired Polar people are being offered jobs at Atlas?

What is the latest?

I have a friend who was furloughed from Hawaiian, went to ATA, was furloughed, went to Polar, finished IOE last month, and now is apparently fired.

HAL