I’m relatively senior (new hire 151er) FO. I always been positive about this place, no matter what "funny" management did. Honestly, this place could have been a good career choice, but JH's personal ambitions make this place really toxic environment. It’s time to look around.

 

if anyone is thinking about coming here....don't make that mistake....you will be miserable sitting reserve on the most beautiful pilot crew room that I have ever been on....the yellow paint everywhere just gonna make you sick after sitting reserve for 12 hours....
seriously you will hate yourself after 1 month...

 

I second this. I was probably the biggest cheerleader for this place. Such incredible potential that now, is just mismanaged. At one point I tried to get friends to come here only to turn around and rescind my recommendation for ABX.

I hadn't looked for another job since coming here until now. Now I'm actually considering other options and I'm afraid to say that if one of them comes thru, I will probably bolt too. Seems like this place is being run by someone with revenge in mind instead of smarts.

Anyone seen the stock price for ATSG? I'd say for all that ATSG encompasses, that price should be a lot more. Maybe someday the board will get rid of Joe and put real leadership in.

 

And then I open my email only to see this...

"Your Negotiating Committee attended negotiations in San Antonio this week under the guidance of two federal mediators. Late this morning, management finally responded to Article 23 by moving backwards and removing previously agreed-to items. Despite being available to negotiate with the company for three days this week, just five minutes was spent meeting face-to-face with the company to actually discuss proposals. Management also refused to discuss our pension arbitration issue as we have been directed to by the arbitrator. Clearly company negotiators have been directed, as Soaper has stated in ground school classes, not to negotiate with the union until the union's position becomes "more reasonable".

Based on management’s current proposals and negotiating tactics, it is clear that upper management has no appreciation for the extraordinary efforts the ABX pilots contribute to achieve the 98 percent plus performance level. "

I just went from casually looking at other options to totally active. This management is, for the lack of a better word, retarded or has no intention of ever closing a deal.

Asking for concessions on an already concessionary contract from 09 just boggles the mind. Thanks for the type!

 

See ya ABX....thanks for the type and 1000 hours on heavy ...

 

Jason and papa

I noted to Jason a few months ago that any of you guys would be welcomed over at K4

If you can go to a major of course do it but coming here might be an option for guys not holding out for retirement
We have about 360 on the list now and will 2x in size by end of next year

Good luck to you both

 

When amazon gave ATSG the 20 aircraft contract in early 2016, I thought for sure it was going to be the next Fedex/UPS.
I left a good paying job overseas to come here. I applied to both ABX and ATI. I had an interview lined up with both airlines in April of 2016. ABX however hired me first.
I thought that getting on the property ASAP was more important than who I went with, (even though I thought ABX was the better company) because I figured after amazon bought ATSG they’d merge ABX and ATI.
Boy was I wrong...
I should have stayed overseas or I should have waited until ATI hired me. Seriously I should have just stayed overseas. The amount of money I’ve lost coming here is mind boggling. And there is no light at the end of the tunnel. For every few retirements we have, we seem to lose an airplane. So there is no movement.

The strike in November really hurt any possibility of advancement here. I’m not blaming the union. Hete was looking for any excuse to punish the pilot group he hates. The result we now see would probably be the same no matter what.

What management don’t seem to understand is that there are two pilot groups here. The new hires who won’t stay here anyway. And the old timers who have enough saved up in pension/401K to just walk away. They really have no power over this group.

I am not sure of what will happen first. Hete shutting the place down one airplane at a time, or us burning it to the ground before taking any concessions. Either way. Don’t come here!

I’m now actively looking for work again. It’s really sad. This place had such potential.

 

Sad, just sad. The “Amazon Dream” hooked a few of us.

 

Same here. Gave up on many good overseas opportunities to do this ACMI stuff. Here I am after almost 3 years and no advancement in sight. Thinking back now, if I had just stayed in my regional i would have gotten more credentials and be probably already at a legacy..

 

“The Amazon Dream” is why the majority of the 151rs came here and Amazon didn’t fulfill your fantasies. How many more airplanes toward the Amazon contract would ABX have gotten if there hadn’t been a strike, 3-4? Those airframes would not have changed things much for us, it wouldn’t have made your “Dream” come true. You didn’t look deep enough to see that we had an absolutely horrible management team, most of who are still here, before you came here and while parts are improving the top hasn’t changed.