Let me try to get this straight;
The United States of America has one President, one Congress, one Supreme
Court that rules hopefully in the best interest of the majority of the people of the USA. We also have (good or bad) a IRS that taxes all of the people at specified rates.
Now you folks in the EU claim that you're one country (well sort of).
Let's see, my last fellow crewmembers that worked at STN lived in various other European Countries (they very quickly pointed out to me)in order to avoid paying their fair share of taxes to the UK.
I live in the State of Connecticut and pay the same rate of Federal taxes as my fellow crewmembers that live in any of the other forty-nine states. Also, whether I live in Maine or Montana the dollar is the standard form of currency. Now of course I'm dating myself, but in the late sixties it didn't matter if I lived in Anchorage or Atlanta,
I still received a draft card and had the responsibility to serve my country.
Now, let's see all those Euros as currency in the UK, Denmark, Switzerland, etc. right!, not even close! ;how about a European elected central government? The French would love that! It would rule and tax equally, Ireland to Italy, Poland to Portugal. Maybe in a hundred years!
Come on guys, the EU is a great step forward into the 1970's, but it is still made up of independent and sovereign nations, not one single unified country.
If your airline has the 5th freedom rights,you are more that welcome to fly to JFK and pick up US passengers and take them to BDA, ANU, AUA, FDF, etc. like BA did, as well as KLM and AF just to name a few.
Your governments'(note the plural usage) allow Atlas to operate it's own planes on behalf of other carriers to other countries the same as the US allows foreign carriers to pick up and fly through the US to other countries. Maybe the US pilots should demand seniority numbers on every EU carrier that operates through the US and it's territories?
It's only fair!
Having met and flown with more than a few AACS crewmembers, I find them to be, (perish the thought) a lot like me. We like what we're doing,flying, we try to be professionals, we like women, boats, planes, cars and our kids, and we're trying to make a living. My problem is with the Atlas management team (AMT) that is using AACS as a weapon against the Atlas Crews that built the airline and without us there wouldn't be an AACS today. Also now that I've met these folks I find that the AMT doesn't really want us to get together.
Go figure! We might all try to form some sort of an organization. That would force Atlas Holdings to form Pakistan AACS or something even more cost effective.
Anyway, Atlas is a US corporation that is using AACS mainly as an economic tool, as well as a bargaining chip. If anyone thinks that the AMT is hiring EU citizens for ethical reasons, then you're spending too much time in certain smoking bars in AMS.
Some of you that claim the EU is the same as the US need a reality check!
Give us all a break!
Finally, in another month spring should be arriving in the UK. That would be a great time for the "Guv" (all the best to him and his 1011's) to get his soapbox out and make a weekend tour of UK's parks. Maybe he'll publish his schedule? We Atlas folks on layovers in the UK would love to listen!
We could even donate a few Euros, oops!, that's right the UK doesn't use the EU's money!
[This message has been edited by Ct.Yankee (edited 10 March 2001).]