Striking Amerijet Pilots Seek Basic Decency

[Mike Scott]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General
President Jim Hoffa today called on Amerijet management to take responsibility
for the health and safety of its pilots and for the public at large.

The striking Amerijet pilots are seeking working toilets on long flights,
adequate rest and decent pay. They went out on strike on Aug. 27 after a
30-day cooling-off period imposed by the National Mediation Board.

"As Labor Day approaches, Amerijet's callous treatment of it pilots is an
example of how important it is for workers to unite together for their own
protection and well-being," Hoffa said.

"It's also a reminder of how important it is to pass the Employee Free Choice
Act. Amerijet's management stalled negotiations for so long that the pilots
still don't have a first contract 5.5 years after they were certified. That's
a strong argument for the Employee Free Choice Act, which would give both
workers and employers the right to request mediation from an outside source if
they cannot reach a contract."

There are no toilets aboard Amerijet's Boeing 727s. Female pilots must relieve
themselves by squatting over bags. Male pilots urinate into bags just outside
the cockpit doors and hang them on hooks when finished. There are no sanitary
facilities in which to wash.

Nor is there food or water on board. The average first officer's annual pay
was $36,000 before a 10 percent cut earlier this year. Amerijet docks pilots
the equivalent off two days pay if they call out sick within 2.5, and
sometimes 7, hours before their flight.

"You'd think the last person Amerijet would want flying its airplanes would be
an exhausted, hungry, sick pilot," said Teamsters Airline Division Director
Capt. David Bourne. "And yet that's exactly who they put in the cockpit."

"Amerijet's sick-leave policy, low salaries and 18-hour work days combine to
create fatigue and low morale," Bourne said.

Teamsters from across the country have shown their support for the pilots
striking at Amerijet Air Cargo by refusing to cross picket lines or move
freight for Amerijet, Bourne said.

"We have seen a widespread outpouring of support from our brother and sister
Teamsters in the airline industry and major national trucking firms," Bourne
said. Teamster-represented maintenance workers and cleaners at Miami
International Airport are also refusing to cross the picket lines at the cargo
facility on the west side of the airport.

Teamster pilots from Atlas Air, Polar Air Cargo and Kalitta - Amerijet
competitors - have joined the Amerijet pilots and flight engineers in large
numbers. Pilot unions at American, US Airways, Southwest, JetBlue, UPS, the
Air Line Pilots Association and the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association
have also joined the Amerijet pilots and flight engineers on the picket lines
and are contributing their time and money in support. Additionally, other
South Florida unions, as well as organized labor in the Caribbean and South
America, are supporting the strikers.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/...ng.a.stink.cnn

[Stephen B]

Um, aside from some of the other rather entertaining statements in this "article", I have to ask WTF to the very first line that mentions "Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa". WTF????????

[NickN]

Have been following the Amerijet strike closely since it started. The boards over at PPrune are a good source of information and debate.

It has now come to the point where the freight forwarders have started using other operators to move the freight which originally was bound for Amerijet. I believe they are currently using CargoJet based out of Canada.

There is arguement that CargoJet have undermined the strike action however I believe that the freight forwarders themselves have taken on CargoJet directly and Amerijet management have actually lost all revenue from any of that freight being moved. Originally there were accusations Amerijet themselves had employed CargoJet and were still banking some dollars.

On a personal level I wouldn't like to work anywhere that basic toilet amenities were not provided so I do feel sympathetic to their cause. A friend of mine who was a military and now a civilian pilot in the US was only just saying recently that pilots are not treated very well over there whereas pilots seem to be given great respect in other parts of the world.

Keep in mind the pilots of the Continental Dash 8 fatal accident in Buffalo, NY were only being paid approximately USD$22,000 a year. Even if converted to Australian dollars that still strikes me as extremely low for a qualified professional pilot.