rhart

ATI has an FO posting so I'm wondering about the latest and greatest at ATI. You know, the standard... "Good, Bad, and Ugly" about working for the Co.

l8fr82hub

Things haven't changed much at ATI since the previous post. We've been working under the same contract since November 2000. The DC-8s are flying pretty much the same routes as before. One of the 767s flies south out of the Miami base and the other is flying a contract out of Australia. The most junior are assigned as FO's at the Miami base (meaning you're on your own nickel every night). The Australia trip is staffed by home-based 767 (senior) crews.

Also, we are presently in the process of decertifying the Teamsters and voting in ALPA.

theman

I cant imagine Teamsters can be any worse than the disappointment that ALPA has been

l8fr82hub

I didn't think so either having been previously burned by ALPA, but I was wrong. Right now ALPA is the lesser of two evils.

ATCsaidDoWhat

I would agree with the reasoning if you were still under the old regime at 747. Given the new leadership there and in DC, and what they just did down at Amerijet for 60 pilots, the timing and reasoning seems off. A change will likely further delay the process, and given the relative size of ATI, you will not have a high priority over other larger carriers that pay more in dues, even though yours will go up from the 1.56% you pay.

Remember too, that your dues stay with you at ATI. Only .22% of what you pay goes to the International. ALPA keeps your dues at National and returns a small portion back to you.

It goes without saying that a big part of the problem you had was the past leadership of 747 and the International, but that's changed. I also understand that the Airline Division Director has said he could not agree to a contract that allowed you guys to be whipsawed against ABX, promising you the ABX jets and jobs in exchange for a substandard contract. It makes you wonder why the ALPA President has already agreed to sign such a contract. Especially when it is just what Joe Hete, the owner of ABX wants so he can squeeze a cheaper contract out of the ABX guys. In the end he'll get a cheaper contract, you'll have a cheaper contract and he'll keep the airplanes and flying at ABX. And you both still lose. And you'll pay more in dues.

We should all wonder why a union President would agree to any contract that gave management leverage. Especially today, given the success that just happened with so many unions that just stood with Amerijet to get them a contract, that no expected would happen.

l8fr82hub

The new leadership at 747 IS THE PROBLEM. After five years we were finally making progress in contract negotiations when the custodianship occurred and derailed the process.