Originally Posted by
furloughfodder
I wish you guys would please tell the truth about this "last 15 minutes" before the cooling off period.
Again, here is how it went (abbreviated):
Management told the Atlas MEC that they were moving aircraft and flying over to Polar if Atlas were to go on strike. Neither the Polar MEC nor the Atlas MEC have any control which group flies the Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings aircraft. It is the same thing that is happening right now, as Polar shrinks to nothing and Atlas is expanding.... Atlas grows and Polar furloughs.... Polar grows and Atlas furloughs.... it is a tactic by management to separate the groups.
Management tried the exact same thing before we went on strike if you remember. They even took it a step further, firing 42 probationary Polar crewmembers, and moving 5 airplanes over to Atlas (which you guys all flew, do to no fault of your own).
Do you really think the Polar MEC had the power to go into management in the last 15 minutes of your cooling off period and whisper, "Hey, we'll fly all those trips!" or that they really told management that they will disregard the ALPA agreed upon struck work rules and banish themselves from ALPA forever?
Some of what you said is correct. Polar did get about 5 A/C long before our countdown. That was known and expected with 170 furloughed Atlas pilots and 150 later on.
Polar (Fell) was actually consulted during the Atlas cool down period on a strike agreement. Polar MEC agreed with the Atlas MEC not to fly any more Atlas A/C and contracts when we went on strike. Everything was great until about 15 minutes before release. Then Bob called to advise Dave Bourne the company was going to give Polar 5 more A/C and 5 new ACMI contracts (turned out to be our China Airlines Contracts) and wanted relief from the previously agreed to struck work agreement. Fell also made himself unreachable after the initial call to Bourne and the ALPA National witness.
Instead of typing the verification on the 15 minutes all again. Here is one on another thread. Witness is separate of Polar and Atlas MEC's
Click Here Opens New window Close to Come Back
Funny how you realize the pulling of A/C over to Polar and then later back to Atlas as a normal tactic of management, but your MEC Chairman doesn't and calls us scabs. Partial email quote from Bobb Henderson to Atlas MEC Dave Bourne. Also shown on the
Polar Behaving Badly slide show. There is a full copy available on record. It is a request by Bobb H. for an illegal job action on Atlas crews part while calling us a scabs at the same time. Typical. Funny how Henderson forgot where the A/C and contracts came from to begin with and who lost jobs first (Atlas). The 5 previously mentioned A/C and furloughed Atlas crewmembers. I guess it is only important to protect Polar jobs.
Originally Posted by Bobb Henderson
You need to SLAM our current management practices and the way they are using threatening labor tactics and assure your crews that they need to support Polar, because they are next. We need your crewmembers to refrain from picking up any of the extra open time that will be generated by these airplanes moving to Atlas this next week. From our eyes your crewmembers will be seen as taking advantage and benefiting the current situation and our demise. Being an X-Eastern guy I look at these individuals who pick up this new work while we are in a cooling off period as SCABS and flying SCAB work. I know this 400 is going to fly a ACMI contract. That is not the point. The point is that is being transferred to Atlas in retaliation for Polar getting to the 30 day cooling off. We are actually staffed for this airplane and have been crewing it for several years.
Originally Posted by furloughfodder
I can also promise you that a pilot group as strong and unified as Polar would have supported you and the struck flights that management might have tried to shove on us.
I have a hard time believing that if your MEC says go to work and your company says go to work that you would stand fast and say "no". ALPA legal would say your S.O.L along with Atlas crewmembers.
Originally Posted by furloughfodder
I am just not sure you guys deserve a Battle Pin. None of you lost any pay, none of you have ever gone on strike, and you endured no hardships during the Polar strike. In fact you were able to pick up a heck of a lot of open time and make extra money. But if you want the pin so bad you can have mine, if I can dig it out of the trash can.
At the time, there were no guarantees that our guys wouldn't get fired (the first guy was fired for not crossing). All were getting their pay withheld if they didn't fly when scheduled. Our work action was a risk. All done for the benefit of another and separate airline. Only later, when ALPA National oversaw the return to work agreement, did our guys get it in writing that they would be repaid and reinstated. National required it, the Polar MEC didn't give a flip according to Duane Woerth ALPA President. Many did miss a paycheck(or part of) because of it, although they got it back later. All in support of Polar while constantly being called names by the guys they were supporting. Needless to say, there were many other issues like court orders and our other non-polar customers that Polar claims as theirs post facto.
We at Atlas did gain something though, beside another kick in the teeth by Polar. We now have a court order #2 that upheald our right not to cross a legal picket line which was always in doubt even by ALPA legal's interpretation. Court order #1 required us to fly anything assigned after the initial work action we started.
Personally, I don't give a flip about any pin. I have endured many more hardships in my life and have the scar tissue and extra copper jacketed lead bits to prove it. I just don't want to see my group used as a scapegoat for another councils mistakes.