Amount Of Undelivered Perishable And Time-Critical Freight
Growing Daily
The Teamster pilots and flight engineers of Fort
Lauderdale-based Amerijet Air Cargo remain on strike, demanding
their first contract they say would provide for wage and benefit
increases, as well as safe and sanitary working conditions.
A Teamsters news release indicates some major passenger and
cargo airline pilot groups across the United States have joined
with the 62 Amerijet flight deck crewmembers and are showing their
support for the South Florida-based pilots, flight engineers and
their families. In addition to those pilot groups from the U.S.
cargo and passenger airlines that have promised to not carry
Amerijet freight on their aircraft, several major national trucking
firms have also joined in support, including UPS, YRC and ABF. At
Miami International Airport, Teamster-represented maintenance
workers and cleaners are also refusing to cross the picket lines at
the cargo facility on the west side of the airport.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of perishable and time-critical
freight reportedly remain undelivered since negotiations broke down
Thursday. Amerijet's management is now reportedly attempting to
hire other airlines to stem the backlog of undelivered freight. The
Teamsters say they are also fielding reports that Amerijet
management has begun threatening crewmembers if they don't cross
the picket lines.
Pilots from UPS, Atlas Air, and Kalitta, all of which are
Amerijet competitors, have joined the Amerijet pilots and flight
engineers in large numbers. Additionally, the pilot unions at
American, US Airways, Southwest and others have joined the Amerijet
pilots and flight engineers on the picket lines and are
contributing their time and money in support. Other South Florida
unions, as well as organized labor in the Caribbean and South
America, are also supporting the strikers.
Florida Democrat U.S. Rep Alcee Hastings says he is deeply
troubled and concerned that Amerijet has exhibited what he calls a
cavalier and callous disregard for the safety and sanitary
conditions of its pilots and flight engineers. He also said he is
"dismayed" that any air transportation company would insist on a
policy that he says punishes people for calling in sick by docking
their pay.
The Teamsters say they are hopeful that Amerijet's largest stock
holder, HIG Capital, will play a constructive role in resolving the
dispute they insist was caused by Amerijet's management team.
Amerijet said over the weekend that it continued to operate
without interruption. The carrier's primary business is in hauling
freight to the America's, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and
the Middle East.