You are correct in that there was merger. Polar crews were merged from their contract and company into a future crew leasing company. In the end they were taken out by their own union and the NMB. In a couple of years IBT will most likely PAY you guys to go back to ALPA as they will be near insolvent due to the endless legal costs trying to settle things and enforce a contract. This is kind of like Obama, Time to show them what you got. As they say Skippers On The Bridge
From the public record, it appears that Polar was purchased by Atlas several years ago. Logic would only follow that based on cost efficiencies that the carriers would be merged. In fact, in the seniority abritration, was not a letter from your ALPA Contract Administrator to your former MEC Chairman Bob Fell produced? Dated in 2001, it memorialized a meeting with management that clearly stated that when merged, the airline would only have 4-5 747-400's and those pilots, numbering about 150, would be the only ones to be part of the merged airline?
Every pilot I've ever known wants to be king. However, it appears from the post and that of other Polar compatriots, it has been determined that regardless the facts, they feel the right to run the company that bought them. Let's all remember that Polar; started by GECAS to fly around old, beat up Classic's, had a deuce of a time finding someone to underwrite the purchase of the very -400's they fly today. Seems to many that they ought to have been grateful someone stepped in to bail them out in the first place. In fact, wasn't one of their maintenance hog Classic's called "Miss Piggy?"
I don't imagine that anyone will allow the use over 1.2 million hard earned dues dollars paid by others like ALPA did to allow them to continue grievances that to date have proven to be pretty weak. While their CBA may allow them to proceed on their own, one could also expect that Mr. Katz, the attorney who has drained the money from the pockets of so many hard working ALPA pilots, will likely now only work for cash upfront. That's assuming ALPA agrees to let him do the work. Those of us who have been down this road know too well how ALPA reminds lawyers that if they work for someone represented elsewhere, the ALPA gravytrain shuts down.
It sure seems that a lot of them are really miserable and don't like working for a company that seems to be doing better than most. I'm betting that there are plenty of out of work pilots who would love a steady paycheck and a future with a union carrier who will only be too happy to step up.
I heard a guy say something the other day about this; at least about the ones of who constantly whine out there. He said it reminded him of a bumper sticker he saw growing up in the Midwest, back when folks were griping about the cost of food. It said:
"To the American consumer: Don't complain with your mouth full."
Sure seems they have a nice paycheck and job security if they want it, but they're too busy whining about what they don't have.
If they'd had been smart, they'd have told their leadership to get a contract before the economy tanked. It's sure seems their leadership is focused on ego and not jobs.
Newsflash: Unless you're the CEO, it ain't your sandbox. If you don't like it, leave. I doubt anyone over there will really care.