ABX latest..
11-14-2018, 06:02 PM
#1
RJ Furlough
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Position: ERJ145 F/O
Posts: 277
ABX latest..
Your Executive Council representatives have fielded several inquiries regarding the negotiations that took place in Dallas, Texas October 31-November 2. Prior to the session, the federal mediator specified that he wanted the parties to work toward the completion of Articles 13 and 18. The union was fully prepared to discuss and resolve the parties’ differences. It became immediately apparent to all involved that the company did not share the same intent and the session went south quickly. The company did not make an attempt to resolve the open issues in these sections and, in fact, reneged on sections of Article 13 that were agreed to and TA’d by management’s previous negotiating team.
Current management has demonstrated that they are either unable or unwilling to negotiate in good faith. It is our opinion that throughout this process current management has portrayed a total disregard for the negotiating process as outlined under the Railway Labor Act. The union is communicating our view of management’s actions to the NMB.
There is no path forward to reaching an agreement if management continues with its unproductive tactics.
The number one question we receive, other than the status of contract negotiations, is whether one should stay with ABX Air or seek opportunities elsewhere. Those of you who are in the twilight of your career at ABX can be certain we will not rest until we have secured a fair contract. Those of you with a long career ahead of you are betting on an uncertain future with ABX Air.
Here are some facts and a bit of history that you may wish to consider. In May 2008 DHL announced that they were going to phase out their contracts with both ASTAR and ABX Air and replace their lift with UPS, that announcement was soon followed by the financial crisis of 2008/2009 which resulted in a worldwide disruption of the economy. Teamster Local 1224, for better or worse, negotiated a follow-on contract that allowed both DHL and ABX Air to reset and rebuild their business for the challenging conditions of the time. The concessions which improved productivity, froze the pension and reduced compensation fueled the ability of the company to secure a contract with DHL. These concessions also provided the cash flow needed to have the entire 767 freighter fleet reconfigured with cargo doors, allowing ABX to competitively compete for other ACMI contracts.
The results were staggering. Not only did ABX/ATSG survive, but it flourished in the marketplace.
Management rewarded our sacrifices by not recalling longtime pilots when they were clearly needed. In their attempt to save a buck, management delayed adding pilots until those who were furloughed lost their seniority rights. That poor decision ultimately cost the shareholders millions. In 2014 as profits continued to increase they requested additional concessions. When in 2016 management’s understaffing resulted in higher costs and put a strain on crew performance, your union attempted to work with management to resolve the looming crisis. While your union presented ideas and proposals that we felt were in everyone’s best interest, management was unwilling to negotiate a solution, failed to make a single proposal that addressed any of our concerns and only asked for contractual concessions. When your union refused to agree to concessions, management responded by suing us in federal court. When the lawsuit failed, management elected to flagrantly and knowingly violate the status quo as provided under federal law. The union’s final and best attempts to resolve these issues resulted in ATSG and ABX executives threatening that no further aircraft would go to ABX Air.
Fast forward to the current management team appointed in February 2017. After 19 months this new team was able to negotiate the definition of an international flight and very little else. Many of you have experienced the threats of furloughs under our new president. It appears that not only are the pilots less than impressed with this new management team, but other employees have also decided ABX is not a career destination. The departure of schedulers and training staff heading for the exit is unparalleled in this company’s history. The meltdown in scheduling has negatively impacted productivity. Recent issues regarding maintenance, FMC issues, and the delay in agreeing to an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) letter has us questioning the competence of top leadership.
What is most puzzling to us is the fact that ATSG management clearly indicated that they were comfortable with the Kalitta contract and we confirmed that this was primarily centered on competitive economic concerns. There is no continuity between what we were told by ATSG management and what ABX management has put on the table. ABX management negotiators have refused to put forth a detailed economic proposal, indicating that they recognize that you, the line pilot, would be offended by their offer.
In the final analysis, each of you will have to decide whether working for this management team is worth your efforts going forward. Unfortunately, management has clearly demonstrated that they do not value your skills and contributions to date. While we know that you find this message disappointing and perhaps even depressing, we want you to know that your union leadership and all our volunteers are committed to representing your best interests, as long and as difficult as the process may be. You have a strong desire to see ABX succeed and be a destination airline, unlike the ABX president who openly stated he doesn’t care if the airline succeeds or fails, he gets paid either way. This is a clear demonstration of his leadership skills.
We all understand the marketplace and competitive pressures that exist; unfortunately, management does not recognize the value of their own people or the pilot contract needed to win the race against other carriers in recruiting/retaining new pilots. This is the greatest threat to ATSG and its long-term success. Managements’ failure to recognize this is most ominous. Given current management’s disregard for the RLA negotiating process and their unproductive tactics, we see no progress or agreement in the near future. Despite all of this, your union leadership and volunteers are going to see this through to the end game, and we will not stop in our efforts to secure a ratified agreement that is not only competitive in the marketplace but also one that we can all be proud of and new pilots will want to work under. Thank you for your continued resolve and support.
Current management has demonstrated that they are either unable or unwilling to negotiate in good faith. It is our opinion that throughout this process current management has portrayed a total disregard for the negotiating process as outlined under the Railway Labor Act. The union is communicating our view of management’s actions to the NMB.
There is no path forward to reaching an agreement if management continues with its unproductive tactics.
The number one question we receive, other than the status of contract negotiations, is whether one should stay with ABX Air or seek opportunities elsewhere. Those of you who are in the twilight of your career at ABX can be certain we will not rest until we have secured a fair contract. Those of you with a long career ahead of you are betting on an uncertain future with ABX Air.
Here are some facts and a bit of history that you may wish to consider. In May 2008 DHL announced that they were going to phase out their contracts with both ASTAR and ABX Air and replace their lift with UPS, that announcement was soon followed by the financial crisis of 2008/2009 which resulted in a worldwide disruption of the economy. Teamster Local 1224, for better or worse, negotiated a follow-on contract that allowed both DHL and ABX Air to reset and rebuild their business for the challenging conditions of the time. The concessions which improved productivity, froze the pension and reduced compensation fueled the ability of the company to secure a contract with DHL. These concessions also provided the cash flow needed to have the entire 767 freighter fleet reconfigured with cargo doors, allowing ABX to competitively compete for other ACMI contracts.
The results were staggering. Not only did ABX/ATSG survive, but it flourished in the marketplace.
Management rewarded our sacrifices by not recalling longtime pilots when they were clearly needed. In their attempt to save a buck, management delayed adding pilots until those who were furloughed lost their seniority rights. That poor decision ultimately cost the shareholders millions. In 2014 as profits continued to increase they requested additional concessions. When in 2016 management’s understaffing resulted in higher costs and put a strain on crew performance, your union attempted to work with management to resolve the looming crisis. While your union presented ideas and proposals that we felt were in everyone’s best interest, management was unwilling to negotiate a solution, failed to make a single proposal that addressed any of our concerns and only asked for contractual concessions. When your union refused to agree to concessions, management responded by suing us in federal court. When the lawsuit failed, management elected to flagrantly and knowingly violate the status quo as provided under federal law. The union’s final and best attempts to resolve these issues resulted in ATSG and ABX executives threatening that no further aircraft would go to ABX Air.
Fast forward to the current management team appointed in February 2017. After 19 months this new team was able to negotiate the definition of an international flight and very little else. Many of you have experienced the threats of furloughs under our new president. It appears that not only are the pilots less than impressed with this new management team, but other employees have also decided ABX is not a career destination. The departure of schedulers and training staff heading for the exit is unparalleled in this company’s history. The meltdown in scheduling has negatively impacted productivity. Recent issues regarding maintenance, FMC issues, and the delay in agreeing to an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) letter has us questioning the competence of top leadership.
What is most puzzling to us is the fact that ATSG management clearly indicated that they were comfortable with the Kalitta contract and we confirmed that this was primarily centered on competitive economic concerns. There is no continuity between what we were told by ATSG management and what ABX management has put on the table. ABX management negotiators have refused to put forth a detailed economic proposal, indicating that they recognize that you, the line pilot, would be offended by their offer.
In the final analysis, each of you will have to decide whether working for this management team is worth your efforts going forward. Unfortunately, management has clearly demonstrated that they do not value your skills and contributions to date. While we know that you find this message disappointing and perhaps even depressing, we want you to know that your union leadership and all our volunteers are committed to representing your best interests, as long and as difficult as the process may be. You have a strong desire to see ABX succeed and be a destination airline, unlike the ABX president who openly stated he doesn’t care if the airline succeeds or fails, he gets paid either way. This is a clear demonstration of his leadership skills.
We all understand the marketplace and competitive pressures that exist; unfortunately, management does not recognize the value of their own people or the pilot contract needed to win the race against other carriers in recruiting/retaining new pilots. This is the greatest threat to ATSG and its long-term success. Managements’ failure to recognize this is most ominous. Given current management’s disregard for the RLA negotiating process and their unproductive tactics, we see no progress or agreement in the near future. Despite all of this, your union leadership and volunteers are going to see this through to the end game, and we will not stop in our efforts to secure a ratified agreement that is not only competitive in the marketplace but also one that we can all be proud of and new pilots will want to work under. Thank you for your continued resolve and support.
11-14-2018, 08:29 PM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: Left, right & center
Posts: 770
Originally Posted by Formerbuspilot
Welcome to your turn in the DHL Barrel.
Who’s next??
Who’s next??
11-15-2018, 04:48 AM
#6
Line Holder
Joined APC: Nov 2013
Posts: 71
Those of us enjoying the benefits of working with/for profitable airlines , decent employee-employer relations and robust growth in these positive economic times can only look at those pilots involved with such a deplorable , unprofessional and incompetent airline management team with shock and awe. There comes a time when action on your part is required , - that time is now - and without it , you enable this situation and in effect deserve everything you get.
11-15-2018, 06:00 PM
#9
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2018
Posts: 160
Originally Posted by motorclutch
The time to act has passed! The final act will be played by soapy just prior to expiration of DHLcontract....his words. His “take it or leave it” contract will be offered beginning of 1st quarter.
Atsg board is the only group who seems to listen to him. That should scare anyone who works at ABX if they actually think he is a leader! Imagine how he talks to amazon and dhl I'd love to hear their opinon of him!
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