Release #06.021
June 8, 2005

MEDIA ADVISORY

Polar Air Cargo ALPA Crewmembers to Conduct Informational Picketing at Global Transportation Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Polar Air Cargo crewmembers, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), will conduct informational picketing outside the Global Transportation Conference being held in New York City. Polar and its sister company, Atlas Air Inc., are wholly owned subsidiaries of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. The company President and CEO, Jeffrey H. Erickson, is scheduled to speak at the conference.

Why:

The crewmembers are picketing to demonstrate their frustration with the lack of progress in achieving meaningful improvements to their current collective bargaining agreement, as well as the slow pace of the current contract negotiations, which have lasted for over two years.

When and Where: 

Thursday, June 9 
7-10 a.m. EDT 
Crewmembers will be in front of the St. Regis Hotel, 2 East 55th Street, New York City.

Background:

The Polar crewmembers began negotiations with management in February 2003, when their most current contract became amendable under the terms of the Railway Labor Act. Negotiations have been conducted with the assistance of the National Mediation Board since July 2003. To date, the crewmembers and management have tentatively agreed to amend less than ten percent of the current collective bargaining agreement. Capt. Bobb Henderson, chairman of the crewmembers’ Master Executive Council, said “Management’s negotiators don’t appear to have the authority to make decisions, nor do they seem to have any tangible interest in reaching a deal. We have very little to show for the sizeable amount of time both parties have expended for this effort. We want to show management that they need to stop dragging their feet.”


Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing 64,000 pilots at 41 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.


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ALPA CONTACT: Ron Lovas (703) 481-4468