Teamsters Local Union 1224 have condemned the lawsuit filed by Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo against the pilots’ union.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings filed the lawsuit on 25 September against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to require them “to meet their obligations under the Railway Labor Act and stop the illegal and intentional work slowdown and service interruptions they are causing”.
The Teamsters are accused of “engaging in an unlawful, concerted work slowdown to gain advantage in pilot contract negotiations currently underway”, which was causing significant flight delays and harm to the company and its customers.
The union has hit back, and Teamsters Local 1224 executive council chairman, Captain Robert Kirchner, who is a long-time Atlas Air pilot says: “This lawsuit is nothing more than a blatant attempt by Atlas to pass blame and distract customers’ attention from operational failings. This lawsuit is a shocking misuse of shareholder dollars that gets us no closer to being able to deliver for our customers.”
Teamsters Local 1224 president, Captain Daniel Wells adds: “AAWW and its affiliates are using phony excuses to disguise their chaotic mismanagement and inability to appropriately staff its operations after having expanded those operations too far and too fast.”
“This has put great stress on our members, and the company is once again undermining the career security of its pilots through yet another lawsuit aimed at forcing them into a substandard contract.”
An initial status conference on the lawsuit was held on 29 September before the US District Court for the District of Columbia and the judge has scheduled the case for trial on 31 October in Washington DC.
