Informational picketing at Astar
 

ASTAR Air Cargo Pilots to Conduct Informational Picketing in Miami

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The pilots of ASTAR Air Cargo, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), will conduct informational picketing at the company's Miami, Fla. headquarters. Prior to 2003, ASTAR Air Cargo was known as DHL Airways, under which a majority of today's 525 pilots were hired. Before August 2003, ASTAR/DHL Airways pilots carried nearly 100% of DHL cargo in the United States and more than 50% of DHL's international cargo to and from the United States.

Why: The pilots are picketing to demonstrate their frustration with the deliberately slow pace of contract negotiations and the burden that excessive management compensation brings on all ASTAR employees. The ASTAR pilots have been in contract negotiations for three years, and have not received a raise in four years other than previously negotiated longevity increases.

When: Wednesday, December 6, 2006 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. EST

Where: In front of ASTAR Air Cargo Corporate Headquarters, 2 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Fla.

Background: This informational picketing marks only the second time in ASTAR Air Cargo history that pilots have had to protest the lack of progress in contract negotiations.

This is an unusual step for a carrier with an almost unprecedented and extremely lucrative "cost plus" contract with DHL. ASTAR pilots are among the most effective pilots in the express air cargo industry with the best on-time performance record yet they are paid the least among the pilots for the top three carriers. Further, the current contract permits the ASTAR pilots to work more hours than other pilots groups of the big four air express carriers for less overall compensation. ASTAR pilots carry roughly 50% of the weight out of the company's aerial hub, Wilmington, OH, each night for DHL, the world's largest and most experienced international air express network.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world's largest pilot union, representing more than 61,000 pilots at 40 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at http://www.alpa.org/.

DATASOURCE: Air Line Pilots Association, International

CONTACT: Capt. Mike Murphy of ASTAR Air Cargo, +1-937-323-2533; or Ron

Lovas of Air Line Pilots Association, International, +1-703-481-4468

Web site: http://www.alpa.org/

50%...are you serious. I guess thats stretching the word "roughly"

How do you figure 50% of the weight, when Abx has more wide bodies than Astar has airplanes. That does not count the DC9's.....

Tooting your own horn a bit to much.....

Y'all might carry a third to a quarter.....no more.

ITS A PRESS RELEASE!! No more, no less. I would think the pilot group at ABEX would try to support the pilots at Astar in thier endeavors.

Just like you did with your law suits and barginning for all the growth and work.

want you cake and eat it right?

Blow it off, he's kind of a "bitter" b*tch. He does that all over the other boards too.

No, its "want YOUR cake and eat it right". Slow down some, it won't be so hard to formulate a sentence. You sound like a 3yr old, in more ways than one, may have to send you to the naughty chair for some time-out.


Quote:
Originally Posted by bitter
Just like you did with your law suits and barginning for all the growth and work.

want you cake and eat it right?

No, its "want YOUR cake and eat it right". Slow down some, it won't be so hard to formulate a sentence. You sound like a 3yr old, in more ways than one, may have to send you to the naughty chair for some time-out.

Astar (ALPA) pilots are in court right now seeking DHL cease using ABX pilots.

http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/shared_file...345/345-51.htm

Is that the endeavor you're referring too?

Penguin,

I thrashed through the order, to bring out the key point, for those who don't dig reading really fascinating (insert sarcasm here) court documents:

>22. ABX, upon its separation from Airborne, entered into its own ACMI Agreement with DHL Holdings’ new wholly-owned subsidiary Airborne, Inc. effective August 15, 2002. This ACMI Agreement sets forth the terms of ABX’s freight hauling services on behalf of DHL Holdings.

23. In addition to the ACMI agreement referred to in paragraph 22, ABX entered into a Hub and Line Service Agreement with DHL Holdings’ new wholly-owned subsidiary, Airborne, Inc., effective August 15, 2003.

24. On June 16, 2003, ALPA sent a letter to John Fellows, CEO of DHL Holdings and DHL Worldwide.

25. Fellows responded to ALPA in an undated letter sent on or about June 27, 2003.

26. Pursuant to the correspondence referred to in paragraphs 24 and 25, a meeting was held on August 7 between representatives of DHL Holdings, DHL Worldwide, and ALPA.

27. At the conclusion of the meeting of August 7, 2003, the ALPA representatives handed the DHL representatives a letter and grievance dated August 7.<
__________________________________________________ ______________
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we filed that grievance prior to the paperwork being finalised for the ABX re-organization. We were doing precisely what you would have done should the situation have been reversed. As we've beaten to death numerous times, this was done in an attempt to stop DHL, and give time to work something out other than what we have now. Which is two airlines competing for the same revenue. The original plan was for Astar to purchase ABXA. (Don't bother to believe me. Go to the DOT Docket Management System, and read the testimony for yourself.) Here's the link to the entire citizenship hearing. That's where Dasburg stated under oath that that was the plan. http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchResu...rchType=docket Happy reading!

quoted from Case 9–CC–1660...
"on August 7 ALPA presented a formal grievance to DHL Holdings. ………The grievance further claimed that ALPA pilots employed by ASTAR should perform all flying for Airborne. ……………ALPA reiterated and made clear its position that only ALPA members employed by ASTAR could fly the freight for Airborne that had previously and was presently being flown by the Teamsters Union flight crews of ABX"

Don't bother tap dancing around it. It doesn't get any clearer than that.

Penguin,

You can go educate yourself, or continue to be ignorant. I gave you the link. Your choice. I'm not going to spoon feed you. Any one who has airline experience knows that there has never been an arbitration award that kills one airline in favor of another. Nor will there ever be. No arbitrator in the land would do that.

Your little plan fell apart 2 years ago. Explain why you're still in court TODAY, trying to put ABX and its pilots out of business.

quotes from Case 9–CC–1660...
"...We find that the object of the Respondent’s {ALPA} conduct was to require DHL and its subsidiary Airborne to cease doing business with ABX"
“After the merger, the Respondent sought to extend its contractual status as the exclusive source of pilots for DHL to cover both DHL and Airborne”

You've misjudged us. ABX pilots are not as ignorant as you think.

your ALPA dollars at work
 

Anybody that has interest can read what ALPA's been up to with DHL here:
http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/shared_file...345/345-51.htm

Besides the NLRB decision, this case is also in Federal court, currently in the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals.

here's a good summary, quoted from NLRB Case 9–CC–1660:
"The parties’ dispute centers on whose pilots should fly the cargo handled by Airborne, Inc. after its merger with DHL. Prior to the merger, ASTAR (formerly DHL Airways) pilots flew DHL cargo and ABX (formerly Airborne) pilots flew Airborne cargo. After the merger, the Respondent (ALPA)sought to extend its contractual status as the exclusive source of pilots for DHL to cover both DHL and Airborne."