Absolutely take whatever advantages you are able to squeeze out of this contract. There are very few that favor the pilot group. Also, please note that I am most certainly NOT the final word on our contract. If you have any questions regarding the contractual legality of your plans, contact a 1224 representative for the final answer. Just be sure to cover your six.

This contract is difficult to understand at best. It was written by Atlas lawyers who did a very poor job. In my limited experience with our CBA, I have found entire paragraphs that make no sense what-so-ever due to carelessly omitted words. It is so bad that these flaws favor neither the pilots nor the company and have gone uncorrected for years.

Yes, it's your contract, too. My issue is when the contract obviously favors small subsets within the pilot group to the detriment of the vast majority. For instance, a disproportionate number of pages in the current contract favors instructors and check airmen (although this group is growing). Our dental plan allows for bridges, dentures, crowns, ... all old guy stuff and has nothing about orthodontics for all of us younger guys who have kids with fangs and buck teeth. And there are clauses like the one we're talking about that may favor the overseas guys like you which is maybe 2 -3% of the total pilot group.

Whatever your personal situation is, study up on the contract and protect yourself and the group. Letting the company violate the contract is no longer going to go unchallenged. Letting pilots violate the contract will no longer going to go unchallenged (by me, at least). There seems to be a very focused interest on completely rewriting the upcoming contract and I, for one, will be very vocal when it comes to representing our interests.

No matter what your particular situation, the message to the company is definitely going to be: NO MORE MISTER NICE GUY !!!

8

 

So the next contract is going (or intended) to be "not-ideal" for overseas commuters? Or will international gateways become an option?

 

International gateways? -- I wouldn't plan on that scenario materializing since other priorities will take precedence from our end...however, it may get slipped into the CBA even though the majority of the pilots don't really rate that as a priority.

 

Indeed. There are so many more things that need squaring away in the next contract that I can honestly say that international gateways aren't even on the horizon. They may appear, but there are a host of other things that are of more immediate concern.

 

What's of more concern to someone who is genuinely interested in Atlas due to the possibility of international commuting is whether or not provisions which make life overseas very workable in your current CBA will remain. Or will they be "traded" to square away other items.

 

There's nothing in our current contract specifically about international commuting to give up. Its somewhat workable with the gateway and alternate travel language in the contract, I doubt you'll see that traded away. It becomes more workable as you get seniority at certain bases where you can consistently bid lines that have you deadhead out of your base to begin operating overseas.

 

Sometimes it's the lack of language, or the permissive language (VXing on front end) that can make a world of difference. If it gets nailed down to "all trips, whether VX or not, must start and end at your Domicile/Gateway" that could be a significant issue, especially to someone with a life overseas.

 

All trips(VX included) do have to start and end at your base per the contract. You don't actually have to get to your base if its a deadhead and you want to go straight from your home but for scheduling/pay purposes you have to be patterned as if you were.

 

Thank you for all the info on this thread. It was a big help.
Applied early March. (2nd time)
Online test April 29th. Passed with 89.
Phone interview May 14th.
Interview in Miami June 11th.
Emailed that I was in the pool. June 12th
Offered class date of August 10th.
10,000 total time
4500 PIC
Most of my time is CRJ.
No job fairs.
One internal rec.
I have help two others get though the test prep study. They passed 86 and 92.
See you guys in class on the 10th!

 

^^ Congrats! Which plane? 74 or 76?