zerozero

Considering an Atlas Career?
Educate Yourself First With Some FACTS.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Training pay $1,600/mo; FedEx pays $4,000/mo.
• Frequent initial type ride failures during initial training.
• No pay protection.
• No bid line protection.
• New hires can be junior assigned to hostile area flying.
• Wages are 40% below industry-standard pay.
• Substandard retirement benefits; 401k match is 50% of employee contribution, up to 10%.

NEGOTIATIONS

• The company is refusing to engage in negotiations for a stand-alone Atlas pilots’ contract; The company is instead insisting on merging the Atlas Pilots’ contract with an even worse contract - the Southern Air pilots’ bankruptcy-forced contract.
  
• In April 2016, in an effort to force the union back to the bargaining table, the union asked the National Mediation Board to mediate the contract negotiations; Atlas is resisting all mediation efforts and instead continues to threaten to sue the union to force it to stop all negotiations and mediation and to merge the Atlas and Southern contracts.
  
• The company is not only attempting to force a merger of the Atlas and Southern contracts, but is determined to prevent the pilots from even voting whether to accept or reject a merged contract. The company is determined to avoid a contract ratification by the pilots by getting an arbitrator to impose a merged contract on the crews, thereby depriving the pilots of our right to vote.
  
• A strike authorization passed a membership vote with 99.6% of crews ready to strike and granting the union authorization to call a strike.
• A recent survey indicates a large majority of our crews have no confidence that Atlas will deal fairly with them in a contract merger/amalgamation (47 percent "no confidence; 35 percent "low confidence").

742Dash

Why would people want to hear from multiple sources? Perhaps they like to think for themselves. Perhaps for the same reasons that I subscribe to both the WSJ and the NYT.

Labor/management relations are bad, there is no question of that. But there is nothing good to be gained by closing one's mind, even if you find yourself to be 95% in one camp.

plift

The only thing that's for certain is coming here is a big gamble right now. As discussed the PC profile likely will change making the fail rate go up. Staffing is about where it should be for current flying. Yeah you could get some quick seniority if 300 more get hired for Amazon flying but nothing is for certain there until it happens. Even if it does happen we could easily lose flying elsewhere for a net wash or loss given the nature of ACMI. If you stick around here, at some point you'll have 250 Southern pilots put in front of you. Its pretty obvious at this point that we won't have a new contract anytime soon and things will probably get uglier between the company and union before then.

Dak in back

Hey guys and gals. I know this is going to make me unpopular off the bat, but I'm still trying to apply for a slot at Atlas. 2500TT, 1100 ME Turbine PIC. Been updating the resume about 8 months and still no call, but everyone says they're "hiring like crazy." Has anyone used the new online application process? This may have something to do with my not getting a call. I've completed and submitted the app (and updated) but it stays in the "iForms to complete" section. Is this normal or is there a glitch? Thanks!

SebastianDesoto

Pm sent thanks for that link.

Atlas Shrugged

You do not have competitive times. I am not saying that you can't get hired, but you there are too many people right now with better resumes. Keep trying if it is what you really want, but don't pass a job to come here. Best wishes!

sandrich

Something new to consider if you would like to come to Atlas...

Atlas has now taken control of hiring and interviews at Southern. At Southern theres a pool of about 40 pilots that there's no planned classes for. Atlas plans on pulling from that pool when needed to fill their new hire classes (after an "abbreviated" Atlas interview). Id assume once that pool is dry, Atlas could potentially keep just one pilot hiring pool. If and when Atlas starts hiring for 737/777 fleets, either due to growth or just attrition, you may be forced to accept a class that will have you working under an extremely substandard contract. For perspective, first year pay in either the 737/777 is only $61-$63/hr. Second year $65-$67. There is no business class travel, regardless of how long the flight is. There is no min-day guarantee. No trip protection, and no home basing or gateway basing on the 737.

I'm really hoping that if and when it comes down to this, people refusing a class at Southern will trigger Purchase to reconsider their thoughts towards pay-parity.

Atrasaty

Good point Sandrich......we could see the good ole bait and switch hiring that desperate outfits often resort to. Roll the dice if you are feeling lucky��

HPIC

There will be plenty of people that take the class under those conditions with the expectation, justified or not, that "things will get better". The relatively few people that turn down such classes will not convince Purchase to change their ways.

The best thing we can all do is follow the contract to the letter, follow the FOM to the letter, and do our job...and nothing more than we are required. Take the fuel load dispatch gives you...then if you hit min departure fuel before getting to the runway, taxi back and try again...if you are short at the redispatch point, off you go to the original destination and don't accept a redispatch. Check the catering thoroughly and don't go until it meets CBA requirements. Don't fly open time. Heed the advice of the ExCo, such as our recent issue with HKG.

If we all stick together, let our ExCo speak for us, be ready to strike(monetarily and emotionally) if we get released for self help, and fly the CBA/FOM exactly....we WILL come out victorious. To what degree, nobody can say...but victorious.

SebastianDesoto

Right...so....back on to the hiring information.
Got a 90% on the written. Page 1099 still good.
Except I didn't get any NATs questions. And I got a lot of descent planning and time to station questions. Probably between 7-10 in all. Very easy, just do a few GS and mileage calculations before hand, rate of descent (all were based on 3 degree or 3000fpm). Also time to station type questions.

Next question:
I work in the Middle East. My employer requires a 90day notice period to leave or I owe them money. It's substantial. A days worth of salary for every day less than 90.
How flexible is atlas about class dates IF I should be lucky to get the interview then lucky enough to get hired?
Is it a pool system where I can pass a class date and still be eligible to accept another? Or is HR of the "take it or leave it" attitude?