Amerijet Pilots Approve First Teamsters Contract

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS185223+14-Sep-2009+PRN20090914

Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:59pm EDT

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Striking Crewmembers Reach Agreement on Wages, Conditions

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Flight crew members
for Amerijet International, a cargo airline, today approved a first contract
with the company. This is the pilots' first collective bargaining agreement
after five years of negotiations and a strike that began Aug. 27.

The pilots and flight engineers voted 35 to 3 for the contract. The pilots fly
Amerijet's five Boeing 727s and two leased Boeing 767s (early 2010) to and
from Miami International Airport, the Caribbean Islands and South America.

"We had tremendous industry support for our Amerijet pilots," said Teamsters
General President Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "This contract is a
major step forward for the pilots, who first voted for Teamster representation
more than five years ago. Now they can look forward to the protections and
better wages and working conditions that only a Teamster contract can
provide."

The pilots went on strike at the end of a 30-day cooling off period imposed by
a federal mediator. The National Mediation Board called both the pilots and
the company back to the table on Tuesday, September 8.

Amerijet pilots received support during the strike from Teamster pilots at
Atlas Air, Polar Air Cargo and Kalitta, and members of the Teamsters Building
and Construction Trades Department. Wide spread industry support came from
pilot unions of APA (American Airlines), USAPA (US Air), SWAPA (Southwest
Airlines), JetBlue, IPA (UPS Pilots), CAPA (Coalition of Airline Pilots
Association), PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization), NATCA
(National Air Traffic Controllers Association) and ALPA (Air Line Pilots
Association). Teamster-represented maintenance workers and cleaners at Miami
International Airport refused to cross the picket lines. Other unions in South
Florida, the Caribbean and South America supported the strikers including the
United Petroleum Workers.

"For me, a major part of the contract, in addition to wages and benefits, was
finally succeeding in having a revised sick leave policy and the addition of
on-board toilet facilities," said Capt. Kamal Patel, a pilot at Amerijet in
Miami. "When we struck Amerijet a couple of weeks ago they going to make us
continue working in the unsanitary conditions we've been suffering in. But,
now, with the new contract, the addition of toilet facilities is a written
part of the agreement. My family can rest easier now that they know that job
is protected by a Teamster contract."

FULL story at link.