UPS - ABX Air Pilots Choose Cooperation Over Confrontation | Benzinga
Pilots never attend air logistics conferences, let alone rent space for a display. Why would they? They don't have anything to sell. They fly the planes. But here they were selling a precious commodity: good will.
Friction is common between unionized labor and employers. That's especially true in the airline industry, where contract negotiations with pilots take years and unions often raise the prospect of going on strike for better pay. The rise in tensions is currently playing out with pilots at FedEx (NYSE: FDX) Express and Air Transport International (NASDAQ: ATSG). Both groups have authorized leaders to call a strike if they ever exhaust strict bargaining procedures under U.S. law.
The pilots at cargo airline ABX Air are trying to break the cycle of adversarial relations in the airline industry and lay the groundwork for a favorable contract by drumming up business for the company.
"We feel that if we present a positive image with our customers at these events it will garner some recognition for our commitment to their service" said Andrew Whobrey, a Boeing 767 freighter captain and leader in the Teamsters-run Airline Professionals Association, in an interview. "We're pledging that there will be no delays and we'll do everything we can to serve the customer to the utmost of our ability."
ABX Air operates about 25 aircraft — a mix of Boeing 767-200 and 767-300 converted freighters — and has about 300 pilots. The bulk of the fleet supports DHL Express, with about four aircraft providing dedicated transport for Amazon's air network.
ABX and Air Transport International are owned by the same company — Air Transport Services Group — but the ATI pilots are represented by the Air Line ...