Moondog

And there ya have it!

AerisArmis

Perhaps a Groucho Marx glasses/nose/mustache combo would be appropriate attire for this event? And...a Marty Feldman hump from "Young Frankenstein? That ought to throw off the UPS gestapo!

MoosePileit

1- See the law of unintended consequences

2- Don't jumpseat UPS to get to ATL.

3- Don't eat yellow snow

de727ups

Or even better, borrow some UPS pilot uniforms for the event. I'm sure some local ATL guys would find that an amusing proposition.

B727DRVR

Priority,

I can't believe how obtuse and insensitive your statements and few of your fellow Brown's are concerning the desperate efforts of those pilots whose careers will be devastated by this UPS-DHL deal.

Essentially, you are saying that since the odds are insurmountable, that these guys should just lay down, take it, and then die... with no reason to make a last-ditch effort fight. Good thing that General McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne Division didn't take your advise and just lay down and capitulate when the SS Corps commander offered them surrender in Bastogne. No! Instead, he told them "NUTS!!" rather than surrender. This could have changed history, but more importantly, it was the right thing to do. What about when Captain Bob Miller was getting death threats from the mighty IBT when he was pushing the effort to decertify the IBT and form the IPA in the early 90's. What would have happened if he had followed the advice that you and the few other Brown's are giving to just give up.

This doesn't sound like the advise from the IPA guys that I have gotten to know, and I know quite a few.. To begin with, I lived and work with IPA pilots for 4 years while flying for a UPS subcontractor in SDF. First living in a crash pad, then running it, I got to know quite a few of you all.. UPS pilots were special, in that we subcontractor pilots were treated as equals and not looked down upon as we were at other hubs by other pilot groups... (no names here). We sat at the same cafeteria tables and weren't chased out of the bunkrooms, and were treated as professional equals. The IPA pilots are a stand out crowd and a great bunch of pilots, and a courageous crowd when it comes to not giving up and standing strong under adversity.

This respect and mutual camraderie served the UPS pilots well during the IBT strike in '97 and that encouraged subcontractors not to fly and thus help to end the strike. We even got a public handshake from Captain Miller and a standing ovation from a roomful of IPA and IBT for refusing to fly struck goods and officially communicating with the other subcontractors to do the same (You can look it up in IPNN archives). And as far a being filmed during a strike, well I guess that UPS LP filmed me too, but at least I can hold my head high even though I will probably never wear the now-coveted brown uniform.... By the way, none of us subcontractors had any contractual protection when we refused to fly struck goods. If we had given up and surrendered to an unsurmountable situation, we would have given up and flown those struck goods thus prolonging the strike. We stuck together and hung onto blind faith that if enough of us refused, that we couldn't all be terminated. Fortunately, we prevailed and maintained our dignity. Only 1 of our 102 line pilots taxied over to the UPS SDF sort that night, but didn't fly. He gave up, but the Astar and ABX pilots will not.

What I am getting at here is that, sometimes, the right thing is for you to fight even when you you know that you are going to lose. For you to say that UPS doesn't care and just give up is both obtuse and insensitive. I guarantee that if the positions were reversed, and it was UPS pilots that were having their careers destroyed, the IPA, CAPA lobbyists, and KY legislators would be pulling out all stops to stop the deal. IPA would be picketing just as ALPA is picketing: Tell me I'm wrong...

So don't take it personally that these Astar pilot's are doing everything moral, ethical, and legal to try to save their jobs. If the situation was reversed, you would do the same... I know that I would.

Is this a desperate "Hail Mary Pass" or "Nuts!!!" situation? Probably... But sometimes, you have to stand up and fight even though you know you will be vanquished. I will tell my son (when he's old enough), that when confronted by bigger kid and you know that you will be getting your butt kicked, punch them in the nose so that they will at least remember your name and thereby, earned their respect. I.E., "Better to die standing up, than to live on your Knees..."

So put yourself in their shoes when making judgements from your stable position, because you never know when your job might be next. Bottom Line: Don't be too excited when market forces allow your company extra work by the destruction of another company. When even ONE pilot, anywhere, is unemployed, paying for training, or flying for free, it allows management to say "Hey, we have people that will PAY to do your job".

Good luck to us all during these tough times, especially to those pilots of Astar and ABX.

In Unity,

B727DRVR

P.S. - No, I have no dog in this fight than the other 1100 fellow desperate freight dogs in the fight of their lives. And if I were at UPS, DHL, or ABX, I would be making this same post....

B727DRVR

Hey de727ups,

That's actually a great idea, but one I realize that the IPA couldn't condone. Actually, I know a few of you guys who would be just funny/crazy enough to do just that.... Again, I won't name any names, not even initials.

I still had quite a few uniform pieces that my IPA tenants left at the crashpad, but alas, I finally tracked them down. Tell your ATL UPS pilots at the rally to go in civies.. and the Astar pilots wear your hats and stand tall.

Take care,

B727DRVR

FlyAstarJets

Well said and much appeciated. Cheers Brother

FAJ

Brown

So when should we expect Astar guys to picket IPA headquarters?

Should the UPS pilots support them picketing our union hall next?

Astar pilots picketing UPS headquarters is the most asinine thing I've seen ALPA do yet. Way to slice your memberships' throats.

ALPA idiots!

FlyAstarJets

Good point TD. And as a matter of fact, we have taken it to DHL. Twice actually. AStar pilots along with Spirt, Delta and one other carrier that I don't remmeber (my apologies to that group) picketed DHL at their HQ in Plantation FL. Astar pilots also picketed and passed out leaflets at the DHL sponsered MLB Allstar Fanfest in New York.

Slice

I can sympathize with the Astar pilots wanting to take action, but what is to be gained by picketing in ATL? I believe it will kill any chance of guys getting hired when this deal goes through. DHL is the one pulling the plug. It would seem that's where most of the energy should be directed.