When did ATI pilots cross their picket line? I am new to this industry and don’t fully under stand how everything works about unions and strikes.

I was told that a separate part 121 company (ABX) with a separate union than ATI went on an illegal strike according to the RLA. How does that qualify ATI as crossing a picket line if they went to fly their own planes? Does this mean if American Airlines goes on strike, Delta and United must go on strike too? Is this how it works? Please explain so I can fully understand.

 

You’re trolling.

ABX Air went on strike. 8 ATI Pilots crossed the picket line. Pretty much simple as that.

Asking if Delta and United must go on strike if American does is a moronic question. Obviously they don’t have to but they would honor each other’s picket line.

 

This feels like trolling, so all beware.

However, I will say that this strike/picket line was a unique situation.

ABX went on strike: a legal strike, which was not shut down by a summary judgement, that did eventually end as a result of a judge's injunction, but did not result in any actions taken against the IBT for an illegal job action. The unique part was that they defined the "CVG DHL Ramp Area" as a "struck work area". This is the first time that pilots have gone on strike and attempted to define anything beyond their company's aircraft or their company's freight/passengers as "struck work".

The ABX pilots did this strategically, because ABX doesn't fly any of its own freight. By striking the "work area", it allowed the other DHL carriers' pilots to also choose to refuse to enter the "struck work area".

So, it creates a sticking point for pilots whose unions were not briefed on this strategy already, and especially for pilots without unions. As Wayst is asking (ahem, trolling), why, if the airline next to you goes on strike, are you not allowed to fly your airlines aircraft? How well was this communicated to the non-Union AMF pilots, or the foreign DHL Europe pilots? Did anyone go out to the German 767F and Canadian 757F, up the stairs, and explain to the pilots the intricacies of the RLA and how they were sitting in a "struck work area". Did anyone do the same for the AMF turboprops that operated in and out of CVG on those nights?

It's a unique, sticky situation. That's what I'm saying.

I'll also add that the Master Scab List is populated only with pilots that have flown "struck work"; that's a crew flying an ABX aircraft during the ABX pilot strike. That is a clear, bold line that once crossed can never be uncrossed. This is not the same situation. I personally don't think it's appropriate to add any names to the Master Scab List who have not flown "struck work".

If IBT is serious about adding these names to the Master Scab List, then you must track down the names of the AMF turboprop pilots, the Canadian pilots, and the German pilots and add their names as well. They worked in the same area that the ATI crews did. Anything less is irresponsible union behavior (adding one operator's pilots and not the others). You can't have it both ways.

 

It's not moronic. ACMI carriers are very similar to Regional carriers with respect to their relationship with their contractors. They move some one else's business. If Republic were to go on strike then GoJet cannot refuse to fly their normal routes. In like manner just because ABX decides to strike the legality of which is still in question does not mean that ATI can refuse to fly their own freight for Amazon or DHL. A pilot would have no legal standing in a termination hearing for refusing to fly his freight. Abuse of the word "scab" makes the word meaningless.

 

In your scenario, GoJet absolutely COULD refuse to cross a picket line. A far more pertinent example in this case is the fact that ALL Atlas AND Southern pilots honored the ABX strike, and ALPA knew exactly what was going on that day. It appears as though you’d better cut the BS and think up a different excuse.

 

Let me ask you a question
In 1989 when Eastern Airlines was on strike for 285 days
did Delta, United, AA, TWA, NWA et.al. honor Eastern's picket lines all over the USA and not fly their own jets with their own passengers?

When United Airlines went on strike in 1985
did all the other carriers refuse to fly their own jets?

I am pretty sure the answer to these two questions is no

both eastern and united hired replacement pilots to operate the jets of striking pilots - those bastards occupy spots on the scab list for good reason

JB provided some good info that I was unaware of as to the nature of the Ramp area being considered struck in total - that's good info to understand what happened that night

I am willing to be wrong and enlightened on this subject but I believe in the history of airline strikes the only pilots that anyone wanted to honor the picket line were the pilots of the airline that was being struck.

It wouldn't make sense any other way - if United pilots are on strike how does it help them if a Delta pilot refuses to fly a delta jet with delta passengers?

I believe the ABX strike over status quo violations broke new ground in several ways that seem to be not fully understood by many of us including me

 

As was mentioned, the ABX strike was orchestrated a bit differently than mainline carrier strikes of yore. 1224 had physical picket lines at the entrances to the DHL facilities at CVG and ILN, and the areas therein were designated as “struck work areas”. As to the why’s of this logistical setup I’m not sure; we’d have to ask the guys in the ABX Exco. I DO know that crewmembers from OTHER airlines drove up to report for duty that morning, observed the picket line, and did NOT subsequently report for duty.

Within trade unions in any industry, intentionally crossing a legal picket line with intent to work in an area which has officially been declared as a strike zone is tantamount to scabbery. Is that or is that not EXACTLY what a certain number of ATI pilots did?

 

It's really quite simple.

You're either WITH ABX or you're against them.

If you want to confuse the issue, then you start introducing Canadians, Germans and other non-union carriers, all of which are multiple degrees of separation from ABX.

ATI, however, as the sister carrier to ABX is only ONE DEGREE of separation. Even less than Atlas/Southern, which could be argued is TWO DEGREES of separation from ABX, but somehow Atlas/Southern found the moral fortitude to do the right thing.

Not EASY, but RIGHT.

As for the non union carriers and foreigners, that's just static interfering with the fundamental question of how we demonstrate solidarity as carriers of DHL/Amazon on a common ramp with management teams colluding together.

Get it together guys. Get it TF TOGETHER.

 

Great Post!

 

You left out K4 crews who did the right thing also