Teamsters Fly
The Teamsters filed a petition with the National Mediation Board to represent Atlas Air and Polar Air flight crewmembers. The union also filed for single-carrier status with the operating subsidiaries of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings.
If successful, the Teamsters would displace the Air Line Pilots Association, which currently represent pilots at both carriers.
"I'm confident the Atlas Air flight crew members will vote to join our union as we gain strength in the aviation community," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. The union recently won an organizing victory with United Airlines mechanics.
AWAC management seemed unconcerned about the development. "We respect our crewmembers rights to select their collective bargaining agent," said Atlas Spokesman Dan Loh. "We fully expect to continue the same relationship with our flight crew members."
Loh doubted if the change in representation would affect management's current contract with the ALPA-led flight crewmembers.
The Atlas unit includes around 630 flight crewmembers.
Dave Allen, chairman of the organizing drive said 90 percent of the Atlas flight crewmembers submitted cards.

 

a co-inky-dink?

Labor
Teamsters: The International Brotherhood of Teamsters named David Bourne director of the union's airline division. Bourne is a 747-400 captain who was chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association unit at Atlas Air. He led organizing drive at the freighter airline and has been vice chairman of the ALPA cargo committee. He also was chief pilot for the corporate flight department at the AFL-CIO and was captain of international operations at the former Riggs National Bank

 

I thought it was Jason Bourne and David Webb was his real name.

Who knew David Bourne was a pilot too

 

Used to be Teamsters at a different airline. I regret giving them a penny. Maybe it was our reps but I thought they sucked.

 

Teamsters,

What have they done for us at ABX Air since the DHL debacle? Absolutely, positively, NOTHING! They have to protect those drivers in the brown trucks because the international gets more dues from them as opposed to our tiny 650 member pilot group. I'm done with the Teamsters. The international is nothing but a bunch of thieves!

Red

 

Funny thing about unions is they are like airline jobs...the grass is always greener. ALPA, the Teamsters, FPA, USAPA, IPA, SWAPA, and NPA have all taken heat for various actions or failures to act. None of the organizations is perfect, and all of them have some issues that need some attention.

My opinion only--it takes a very involved pilot group and moral leadership working together to be effective. Lose either one and the results are predictable. We are better served working together than trying to chase every new union as a savior. No matter which union you use, if you wait for "them" to fix things you will be disappointed. It takes everyone working together. Corny--but proven true time and time again.

Stay engaged...its our only hope....

 

Ask us over at republic how we feel about local 747 right now. Furloughs, downgrades, displacements and recently a crew fired with no due process regarding a story made up by a hotel staff with no factual evidence and nary a peep from them on any of the above.

 

I've given about 10,000 dollars to my union in 7 years. I would like to tell them to kiss "my you know what" and give me back my damn money! Nothing but a bunch of crooks who well sell their fellow pilots down the river. Just look at the age 60!