What's up with the article on page one about Dan Katz--airline pilot integration guru? He's got an awfully big smile on his face, have we retained him for big bucks?

Anyone care to speculate on the EB meeting with him and then publishing it in the Flight Times with no real explanation why?

Is UPS about to acquire someone?

Maybe TNT--rumors have been reported in Yahoo financial news,
Maybe Atlas--for their current fleet of 747-400s=rapid lift expansion,
Maybe Polar--for thier 747-8 delivery slots,
Maybe Kalitta--for thier management

No but seriously, what's up?

One of Bob Miller's first acts as IPA President was to put Dan Katz on retainer to explore the possibility of bringing the Subordinate Officials into the IPA. Apparently Dan is the best in the business and has never been on the losing end on one of these cases. The EB is keeping everything close to their vest until they decide if and when to pull the trigger. Contact Bob personally - he will answer your questions but can't get into specifics at this time.

Let's just hope this guy has been hired to make sure the managers are stapled to the bottom of the list. I'm probably in the minority, (usually am), but I'd rather kiss Bob Lekites' butt than allow the manglers on the property now into the union. Talk about putting the fox in charge of the henhouse!!

TH1

Yes and the ATLAS guys want date of hire.

It is the way it is at every other airline. How else are we going to fix the airline within an airline problem.

How about all the managers currently on the property stay as they are? These guys owe their loyalty to UPS, not us. I believe they would be an extremely corrosive influence. Not to mention the potential for giving away every possible negotiation tactic during contract talks. (we do that well enough ourselves) All future managers come from the ranks of the IPA and rotate back to the line on a regular, recurring basis. Unless I see it somewhere close to this broadbrush outline, I would definitely vote no and urge others to do the same. JMHO

TH1

We need to have them on the list. It is what is in the best interest for our union in the long run. There would be some short term growing pain but in the end it would create more oppurtunity than it would destroy. To put it plainly, it isn't likely to happen without DOH.

I guess I didn't make my point. All future managers should be our guys, just like every other major airline out there. The managers already on the property would be the WORST possible additions to the union. Think of them as 200+ scabs all out for themselves. They have forged relationships within their own peer group and with the higher echelons of the company that make them totally untrustworthy within a union structure. I know that a small group of them are good guys, but if we pull all these into the union, we have to take the bad with the good. And the bottom line is, in my opinion, the bad outweighs the good.

TH1

You make an excellent point about loyalties. I'm in favor of getting rid of the "airline within an airline", but what you brought up needs some serious discussion. Definitely would be some serious issues...

Think fences in the beginning, takes care of TH's concerns too.