Why do you contractors think you are entitled to fly OUR freight? You are a CONTRACTOR, you do not work for UPS. UPS has admitted that it will be in breach of the contract and now wants to cut a deal with the IPA. You can expect a big $$$$ penalty payment to each crewmember and improved contract language as a settlement. UPS has now said that July 17, 2006 is the date of the handover of ALL Menlo flying to the IPA. UPS has stated that they will buy out any remaining portion of a contractor's contract in order to make the handover deadline. Why should you contractors expect some kind of preferential interview? Frankly, I and most IPA crewmembers that I've talked to could care less what you and the rest of the contractors think of us. We are not here to provide a job for YOU. You want to work here, apply like everone else. We are not looking for your support on this issue and if you are so worried about finding new work, go down the street to ILN and whore yourselves out to DHL and undercut ABX and Astar.
Since I'm sure some of you won't believe me so here is that latest cheif pilots hotline exerpt concerning Menlo.
J Barnes
System Chief Pilot
When UPS first met with the IPA in September 2004 about the acquisition of Menlo Worldwide Forwarding, we believed that we would be able to transition Menlo’s flying to UPS aircraft and crews within the contractual deadlines.
However, despite our best efforts, the transition is taking longer than anticipated. Our integrated network won’t be fully operational until next July.
The delay is certainly not advantageous to UPS. The sooner we can integrate our network, the sooner we fully realize the efficiencies of the combined system.
While the freight network won’t be ready by the contractual deadline, we understand the terms of our contract agreement and have informed the IPA that we will live up to them.
The addition of Menlo’s heavy air freight volume to the UPS network is a great thing for our company and the pilot group. It creates a new source of revenue.
It helps position us as a global provider of comprehensive transportation solutions.
And, it helps us create new jobs and upgrade opportunities for you. We will be adding 11 aircraft and 24 lines to our network to fly the Menlo air freight. That equates to 101 new pilot jobs. We opened discussions this week with the leadership of the IPA on this Menlo issue. We believe that, by working together, we can arrive at a mutually favorable alternative solution.
Here is an article in the Louisville Courier Journal.
Wednesday, October 5, 2005
Pilots and UPS at odds
Menlo integration's delay angers union
By Bill Wolfe
[email protected]
The Courier-Journal
UPS is behind schedule for integrating the former Menlo Worldwide
Forwarding into its operation and is headed toward breaching an
agreement with its pilots union, the union claimed yesterday.
UPS, which is expanding its main air hub in Louisville to handle large
freight as part of its plan to absorb Menlo, finalized its purchase of
the company last December. That gave it one year to make sure pilots
from the union -- the Independent Pilots Association -- were flying the
former Menlo's shipments, IPA spokesman Brian Gaudet said.
"Last week, they came out and told us that, no, in fact, they weren't
going to meet the deadline, and Menlo flying would not be integrated
into the UPS network until July 17 of '06," Gaudet said. The union has
filed a grievance over the matter with the National Mediation Board,
which is also overseeing ongoing contract talks between the union and UPS.
UPS spokesman Mark Giuffre said yesterday that there have been delays
in integrating the operations but that "UPS has not violated its
existing contract with the IPA, and under no circumstances will we do so."
The company hopes to work out an agreement with the IPA but, if
necessary, can place all the Menlo flights under the IPA before the
freight operations are fully merged into UPS, he said.
Since February, when UPS announced plans to close Menlo's Dayton,
Ohio, hub and build a main air-freight center in Louisville, the company
has been "acquiring land, we've been moving tenants, we've been hiring
new pilots, and we're moving as quickly as possible" to build the
Louisville hub and facilities in five other cities, Giuffre said.
He said UPS had initially hoped to complete the work by next spring
but now doesn't expect full integration until July. "It certainly is not
in UPS' interest to delay the integration, since it will be far more
efficient to utilize the UPS network than to continue the flights into
and out of Dayton," he said.
The pilots union also accused the company of misleading its officials
by giving assurances that Menlo integration was on track. Whenever the
union asked about progress this year, "the response we always got was
'Yep, no problem, we're going to make the deadline, don't worry about
it,' " Gaudet said.
Giuffre said "there really has not been much discussion at all with
the union regarding the Menlo transition" and that the company was open
with the union about the issue at a recent meeting.
"We've said all along that this will be IPA flying and that the
acquisition (of Menlo) represents a great deal for UPS and its
employees, especially the pilots."
Giuffre said UPS is expanding opportunities for pilots with regular
growth, as well as through the Menlo purchase. In the last year, the
company has been adding about 300 pilots, and one-third of that growth
came from the addition of Menlo, he said.