scrupulous

There is a push for ALPA, but I highly recommend you not take the bait. If we carried our own cargo maybe. But we are CMI/ACMI and they have a low regard for us. They'll take our money, but expect no support and constant complaining about what is spent. Been there and done that at Atlas before.

I have an article by ALPA saying how we are the scurg of the industry. I'll try to link it when I get home.

No Land 3

Current ALPA president is a cargo guy, it's not run by Delta, and they have been very supportive to K4. I wasn't a fan of ALPA from my regional days, but I like them now. ALPA has a huge amount of resources. Good luck on what ever path you choose.

742Dash

A lot has changed since the Atlas/Polar/ALPA "thing".

I don't have a firm opinion yet, and won't until a week before the cards are due. But as someone who did vote for the IBT, and still thinks that it was the right thing to do at the time, I now see very different circumstances.

Lockheed

ALPA is indeed a different animal today
NL3 has it right
As a committee chair I see and use the available resources all the time

But obviously you guys need to do what’s right for you - just dont let decades old perceptions cloud your judgement

Good luck to you all

Globemaster2827

ALPA really makes no sense because of the SCOPE language. Then Atlas would just buy K4 and merge all of the work rules and retirement language in 7 or 8 years when their next contract opens. That'd mean no gains for the next 15 years or so other than minor rate increases.

If I were a betting man, I'd say that in 3-5 years they're completely out of Teamsters and are their own independent Union. Then that language is irrelevant...

JackStraw

How do you buy a private company?

iPilot

Ask Connie if he prefers cash or check?

I mean seriously...

JackStraw

Right.......

wjcandee

Basically, Atlas has no ability to buy Kalitta unless Connie wants to sell, and they would have to offer him an awfully big number. I don't think they have the access to capital to do it, and I can't see lenders or investors being too thrilled over that level of concentration of risk. All they have to do is look at ATA/World/National to get an idea of what can happen. Candidly, I don't think they can afford it, and I also think that there might be the beginnings of some antitrust implications there if they do. This isn't like buying some puny carrier like Southern or Polar. Kalitta is a significant operator of exactly the same kind of aircraft. Of course, the Greater Fool Theory always applies, but still. It would be a heavy heavy lift.

And that's before we even consider what the generals over at AMC would think about it. They definitely dislike not having a number of potential suppliers.

Globemaster2827

Probably because the owner is 90 (Remember we're talking 8 years from now when Atlas's next contract becomes amendable) years old and you make them a good offer. Could they force it? No. But if they didn't buy yall they could just find any smaller ALPA company to buy.

I'm guessing that all of them that we could find would have the types of work rules and retirements that Atlas management is looking to merge with.