Release #08.DHL6
July 11, 2008

ASTAR Air Cargo Crewmembers to Picket DHL-Sponsored All-Star FanFest to Protest Proposed DHL/UPS Agreement
Agreement would destroy 10,000 American jobs and may stifle competition

New York, NY—ASTAR Air Cargo crewmembers, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), will conduct informational picketing next week outside the Javits Center, the site of the Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest that is being sponsored by DHL. This demonstration will protest the proposed agreement between DHL and UPS that would give all of DHL’s North American air cargo operations to UPS—one of DHL’s main competitors.

Picketing will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both Monday, July 14, and Tuesday, July 15, at the Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street, New York, New York

Union leaders will be available for interviews.

Should the proposed deal between DHL and UPS could violate U.S. antitrust laws, reduce competition, and very possibly make American consumers pay more when shipping overnight. It would certainly eliminate 10,000 American jobs and devastate whole communities in Ohio.

“DHL is participating in America’s pastime by sponsoring the FanFest, while at the same time proposing a deal that would destroy thousands of American jobs and American lives,” said Capt. Pat Walsh, chairman of the ASTAR unit of ALPA. “We’re going to call ‘foul’ on this deal, and fight it in every way we can. ALPA will continue to work with Congress and federal and state regulators to fully investigate the legality and potential impact of this agreement.”

The Major League Baseball Players Association has voiced its support for ALPA and the ASTAR pilots. The union, representing 1200 baseball players on 40 major league teams, is encouraging its members to show solidarity with their fellow union brothers and sisters.

ASTAR pilots every night carry roughly 50% of the weight out of Wilmington, Ohio, for DHL, the world’s largest international air express network. DHL is a 49% owner of ASTAR and is represented on ASTAR’s Board of Directors. ASTAR (formerly DHL Airways) has been providing air cargo services to DHL for almost 30 years.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union and represents 55,000 pilots at 40 airlines in the U.S. and Canada, including over 500 pilots at ASTAR. Visit the ALPA Web site at http://www.alpa.org

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ALPA CONTACTS:
Captain Pat Walsh—(508) 776-2819
Jen Lofquist—(703) 618-6194