response
Good Evening Crewmembers, this is MEC Chairman Bobb Henderson with a VARS message for January 26, 2006.
Crewmembers, your MEC was very disappointed to hear Atlas MEC Vice Chairman John Caputo’s January 13 VARS message. That message was rife with distortions and, in some cases, outright falsehoods. You can judge for yourselves whether this rant is worthy of a professional airman and the sort of communication that one union member should put out concerning fellow union members. It would be possible to prepare a lengthy response refuting point by point the unfounded accusations in Mr. Caputo’s message. For the present, however, your MEC has chosen not to engage in a public “he said/she said” argument with another pilot. To do so would be unproductive and counter to your interests.
We all acknowledge that the relationship between the Atlas and Polar crewmember groups has been very strained since we were acquired by Atlas Worldwide Holdings in 2001. These difficulties persist to this day. We must also never forget, however, that we face a common enemy, a hostile management that attempts to provoke conflict between the two crewmember groups as a means of driving down the pay and work rules of both. We cannot permit management’s “divide and conquer” strategy to succeed. For better or worse, as long as our management goes forward with its plan to merge Atlas and Polar, we must exert every effort to build and preserve a united front in the upcoming negotiations.
On Tuesday, January 24, I appeared before the ALPA Executive Council. I told the council that the Polar crewmember group believes it is critical to find a process for airing and resolving once and for all the animosities between our two crewmember groups. I am pleased to report that the Executive Council and the national officers agreed and are now actively at work setting up such a process.
To demonstrate our good faith commitment to pursue a positive and durable working relationship with our fellow crewmembers at Atlas Worldwide Holdings, we will attempt to maintain a professional and positive tone in our communications with you. Our responsibility to you to seek the best possible outcome in the pending merger process demands no less.
PAC MEC Chairman
Bobb Henderson