wjcandee

Another Bumpkinville move. First, I think his characterization is erroneous to say that "the ATI Pilots did not support the strike." That is not ALPA's official position, and several ATI Pilots stood with the ABX pilots. Unnecessarily framing it that way creates unnecessary drama. Second, his comments make it sound like this was a decision by the parent company, when in fact it is a decision by the client, who can hire any airline it wants to fly its dry-leased planes. A statement like that is unhelpful to ATSG's position with regard to the single transportation system issue in which ATSG is currently engaged. Third, business is business and Never Say Never. The ABX Pilots continue to do a stellar job flying the flights assigned to them, including numerous substitution flights when ATI's equipment breaks. Since going back to work, they've done this reliably with no drama. They are an unquestionably-talented pilot group, and if Atlas can't staff its flights, or if Amazon somehow secures even more frames quickly, they provide a ready resource to permit ATSG to take on more work. Time heals a lot of wounds, particularly in business, and necessity drives a lot of buried hatchets. Whacking the bees nest like that is just stupid. It's like the guy hired Donald Trump as his adviser on how to make public statements. Finally, how dare he speak on behalf of his client. Amazon may have said that the next three frames through conversion, which is all that is currently contracted for, should be flown by ATI, but for him to morph that into, arguably, "all future frames" is just stupid. He's taking an option away from his own customer by making a statement like that. If he spoke at all, he should just have said the client decided that the next three frames should be flown by ATI, and leave it at that. Smart corporate leaders act in a forward thinking, positive way in public, regardless of whether they are throwing china across the room in private.