ABX Interview - Is it worth it?
 

Currently have an interview scheduled for Friday, I applied not knowing anything and then have spent the last 10 hours reading about the dumpster fire that ABX appears to be. My question is...

Should I go and take the job, go for the interview experience, or just pass? Im currently an FO at a regional and would like to go to Atlas, Kalitta, Omni, etc... Currently just over 2,000 hours. I would apply to Atlas but cannot because of this "agreement" my current airline has and I don't meet the minimums for others. Should I go there to get a 767 type and some heavy experience or just pass? Thanks for any info.

No, it’s not. Next question

You are not hirable anywhere else without PIC time. ABX will hire you. But you will be stuck. Do Not Do It.

Look at Western Global, WGN. We aren't Kalitta, UPS, or FDX, but morale here isn't as bad, we aren't spooling down either, and the upgrade isn't as long. Your total time is low, but we've hired in that range before. In fact we have captain in the 3,000 hour range. As for getting "the call" be persistent, usual networking, I'm not sure if we attend any job fairs yet. We used to do open interviews. Good Luck.

I can’t recommend it at all coming to this place. But in your position you wont build time coming here. And certainly wont be building any TPIC for a long time. (Circle one: days, months, years, decades, centuries)

With 2000tt you need a regional with a flow or like the other dude said...Western Global. The way our network and schedules are built, our crew/aircraft utilization is low. Another thing...lines were cut again this coming month. We don’t build time here. This place is ran looking 5 mins ahead. Only a few people truly know what is the future in this company and they’ll never grow because they don’t paint any growth or goals.

Ask yourself, do you want to be a part of something that doesn’t look like its going anywhere? Jesus take the wheel. :)


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767 type and acmi experience would be a big plus to coming to K4, but if you aren't going to build time, nor get TPIC, what is the point? You need to get your TT in the 5000 range to open up more doors. WGA would be ideal, or perhaps a 36th NW company if you want out of the regionals, and happen to live in Miami? Those guys get hired by K4 too. Dare I suggest SkyLease?

Abx doesn't even have KCM. The President doesnt want pilots to have it.

Do you want to work for someone who intentionally inflicts policy to hurt employees?

Have you seen how many people have quit in the past month? Not just pilots. The president has created a very toxic work environment nobody wants to work for a management that treats employees like dirt and threatens to impose his will on their career.

ABX air owned by ATSG could have a pilot strike in the 4th Quarter because of lack of staffing. Amnz and dhl wont be happy. The contract will be very difficult for them to administer since they are letting many schedulers leave for more money.

^This alone is a good enough reason to pass on working there.

To the OP go be a DEC at one of the AA Wholly Owned regionals until you get a better job.

Also, steer clear of Atlas until they get a decent contract.

THE Perfect Answer!

That ticks me off disproportionately.

I would not get out of the Electric chair to work there! Was worse than the blogs say! With the spoolmdown! You want make it threw ground school before you are unemployed! Don’t risk it for this **** hole!

The place is toxic..

Alright haha well thanks for the input everyone I will definitely pass on this then.

I am curious about cargo, with no real experience in this segment. What is Western Global's schedule like? Is my understanding correct in that you are out on the road for 17 days straight? Is any of the flying scheduled, or do you sit somewhere with a plane waiting for the next haul? I have 8000 hours, multiple types, and 3000 hours jet pic, 1200 121 sic, but no 121 pic. Would this be competitive? Sorry if these question's have been asked before. Thanks!

Might check the WG pages...

Abx has lowered there hiring requirements and then they have washed guys out during OE. Others have quit just after OE. Imagine a bust on your resume. If you're looking long term at a real airline consider the consequences of taking a job at ABX!

Awhile back I had a friend get hired at ABX he told me how great it would be. Now he is gone and I'm still stuck waiting to get out. We just lost more flying. Pilots getting pushed back on reserve. 12 hour airport ready reserve too.

Still 20 + years to upgrade and a shrinking airline. If your buddy tells you this is a great place, you might want to question if he is a true friend!

Abx ATSG
Facts
No growth
No contract
No upgrades for anyone with less than 20 years
Reserve lInes for 2 years
No KCM
Management who delays a contract
Amazon said no more planes till a contract
Dhl taking planes away
And why apply here?

I agree with this. At Atlas morale is low, and we have plenty of pilots with clean histories, degrees, recommendations who aren’t moving on. There’s no promise you’ll get out quickly after you come here or any other ACMI. Having flow and 100k in first year pay (DEC at Envoy including sign-on bonus) is a nice career path. You’d have few career worries and could focus on the technical demands of your profession. Having a place go from a long-term prospect to a stepping stone and then to a black hole in which hope goes to die is a terrible thing to watch. Flow is reliable for the next decade or so at AAWO’s

We will get a contract in another few years. Of course, so will everyone else.

The only good reason to interview would be to hone your interview skills for your target job.

What is the current status of the ABX contract? How long is it over due for new one? How are the negations going or is it in mediation?

It's been in mediation for several years. There is no end in sight. Management is try to take away work rules and offering nothing significant. ATSG just bought Omni to wipsaw yet another carrier. K4 is the place to go new cba and no wipsaw.

How long can mediation go on for before the mediator has to make a decision under the Railroad Labor Act? Does this mean the mediator will approve a strike if there is no agreement?

The Railroad Labor Act is a farce and should be replaced yesterday. Pilots should contact their congress member and demand action. It's almost 2019 and for pilot labor / employment mediation and collective bargaining to be held hostage by rules that are out of date and irrelevant by way of the RLA is beyond a joke.

There is no time limit.

No time limit and Federal Judges are perfectly content to let it drone on and on in favor of businesses. The RLA is a toothless dog. In most if not all disputes found in favor of the pilots....the company is simply told to stop doing that! Of course they go right back and do it again. There needs to be punitive damages or it will never change.

RLA. Passed in 1926. Amended twice in 1934 and 1936.
1926?? Out of date? Yes.
It would be very difficult to get Congress to do any action. Favors business(transportation) too much.
I do agree though, the rules need to be amended.
1926??

While I understand what you're saying, I think you've misidentified the purpose of the RLA. The RLA isn't in place to ensure that transportation workers get a fair contract in a reasonable amount of time.

The purpose of the RLA is to prevent disruptions in the nation's transportation systems. At that purpose, it is far from toothless. The RLA is quite effective at preventing strikes and lockouts. The protracted negotiation process is exactly what the RLA was intended to produce.

Your statement is true. The sad part is that airlines should have never been part of the act. If you had a business in 1925 that was on the Norfolk Southern rail line, using it as your primary shipping method, and the Norfolk Southern employees went on strike shutting down that line your business was also basically shut down. Trains run on tracks owned by the company and no other company can run trains on those rails. If the struck company decides to let another company run trains on their lines during a strike the striking employees can easily disrupt that rail line and stop the struck work from going.


Airlines are totally different. They don't own the sky. If Delta goes on strike tomorrow Atlanta doesn't lose all air service. Will Atlanta or the nations commerce be negatively impacted? Certainly. But if the strike goes on long enough other airlines will add service and in the long term there will be no change in the economy. Why should airline employees be treated any differently than say truckers. I would submit that a nationwide trucker strike would be more damaging to the national economy than an airline strike. How about health care. Many local hospitals are now owned by Nationwide companies like Humana or Adventist. Why don't they have a similar act?

The RLA is essentially indentured servitude for airline employees. (especially pilots, mechanics and flight attendants) Because of our seniority system it is virtually impossible for senior employees to consider changing employers. We are approaching the 100th anniversary of this law. It's time for it to go.

I don't think the hyperbole is helpful.

I used to think the same thing and that thinking kept me at ABX for over twelve years. I'm now on my sixth airline and have never done better. I should have left ABX long before the 2009 furlough that finally kicked me out.

Then contact your representatives. They are the only ones who can change it.

"Then contact your representatives. They are the only ones who can change it."


I have contacted my elected representatives both in the house and senate regularly for years in my former states and my current one. I don't think they care about airline employees and our problems. I watched as they pumped billions into two automotive manufactures while my and several other airlines asked for help and were told to pound sand. I too am on my 6th airline. I hope it's the last one.

Aye, there’s the rub. If any bill to change the RLA is introduced, labor-unfriendly amendments, like “baseball arbitration” might be added. :(

I agree with that.

RLA is worthless.....only lip service. When the company after being told by a mediator to show up prepared ...comes to the table with nothing everytime and laughs! The mediator says ok maybe next time you could provide your proposal...worthless. no power...toothless dog.

That's the RLA doing exactly what it was designed to do. Delay any possible service disruption. The RLA wasn't written to benefit labor.

FANTASTIC synopsis!
Namaste...

There are rumors flying around that potential ABX new hires are being told there will be a pilot contract after Christmas. Thats news to everyone because for the last two years the potential new hires were told "it will be soon". Appears they are just telling pilots that to get them to commit. The fact is neither the union or the Management knows when a contract will happen because neither side knows what the other will agree to. I guess of you're top management and you think you know and you try to convince your boss you can deliver then egos will try to dictate the outcome. But it's an uneducated guess.

Bottom line the union put out a communication just last week stating it could be a very long time and the future is uncertain at ABX.

Technically they’re not wrong. 1,3,5 years etc. from now is still after Christmas...

https://www.aircargonews.net/news/ai...on-survey.html

https://www.aircargoweek.com/cargo-p...lines-are-run/

They're getting ready to leave
 

I've heard a number of pilots that were hired less than a year ago are on their way out the door. Along with 20+ year guys. As we wait and wait for years for a contract we are the frustrated ones. Soon no pilot will come to ABX and then ABX AIR ATSG can be the frustrated ones while we sit back like they've done the past 4 years. If management is tell interviewees that we will have a CBA soon remember this. When I was hired they told me we'd have over 1,000 pilots. Nearly 30 years later and it still hasn't happened. They'll say whatever you want them to say. The only thing that counts is a signature on a new CBA that meets industry standards for our profession.