on 10-year pay and no upgrade in sight at Atlas mainline
Pilots generally upgrade based on seniority-date-of-hire.
Sometimes there are opportunities where pilots can by-pass this standard.
The kindest word for these pilots are "opportunists".
In by-passing their fellow pilots at the same company, the opportunists are taking the money and the upgrades to the detriment of their fellow pilots, like someone that cuts in front of others in a queue. My fellow oportunistic pilots at Atlas that are are organized to cut in front of me call themselves "AABO", have taken about $50,000 dollars each year from my paycheck for the last 6 or 7 years. I have heard all sorts of convoluted arguments about how this is OK, but the fact remains that AABO pilots are Atlas pilots that have by-passed the normal queue for an upgrade, and have financially damaged the careers of their fellow Atlas pilots in doing so.
Usually this is part of a management scheme during, or before a strike.
The opportunistic pilots that take the jobs from more senior pilots generally go away after a while, leaving the original pilots the original jobs. The remaining oportunistic AABO pilots now have acquired the flight time and experience so that they now can obtain honorable employment at other airlines, and they should do so, as this is their most honorable course of action. Alternatively, if they wish to continue flying in the same Atlas aircraft with the same fellow Atlas pilots, such as myself, they should apply for membership in the union that represents the Atlas pilots, taking a seniority number consistent with the date that they take such action.
I was hired at Atlas early in 2000. As soon as the union leadership stopped objecting to union pilots bidding the Stanstead Base, I bid for an upgrade at the Standstead base. That bid remains in place today. I am senior at Atlas by date of hire to all the AABO pilots, from R Roland on down. I have served as a co-pilot for the opportunistic captains that are junior to me, younger than me, and with less time in command than me. I came to Atlas with prior experience in Lockheed, Douglas, Airbus, and Boeing aircraft, with prior experience in one-engine, two-engine, three-engine, and four-engine jet aircraft. I believe that I am as good a pilot as any of the opportunistic pilots at Atlas that are organised under the AABO label, but I am denied upgrade because my fellow pilots cut in the queue. I have little personal respect for these pilots, but I am the copilot, and I offer them all the airmanship, skill, and experience that I possess while in the same aircraft with them; once the cockpit is entered, they are in command and I will do what I am paid to do.
But be clear, the problem with AABO is not citizenship, not country of origin of freight, not even the country of issue of the relevant air carrier certificate or country of the owners of Atlas; the issue is the low moral character of someone that would cut in a queue to the detriment of those that have been waiting longer.
It is true that the stupidity and inexperience of the union leadership at Atlas has led to this situation. But if there is a long queue and people cut in front while offering the explanation, "these pilots are stupid and inexperienced in matters of queues, so I will cut in front of them, because no one will stop me" is that OK?
Now that you AABO pilots have cut in front of your fellow pilots at Atlas, there are furloughs. You AABO pilots have never been furloughed, even though pilots senior to you have been furloughed. Is this right? Or is this opportunistic? Nationality has nothing to do with it. Opportunisticly taking unfair advantage of fellow workers, people that work with you elbow-to-elbow, at all hours of the night, thru the war zones, the FIRs, and haz mat, that is the issue. You AABO pilots are Atlas pilots with no moral strength.