Pilots picket UPS head office over DHL restructuring

AIRCREW at ASTAR Air Cargo, formerly DHL Airways, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), have staged "informational picketing" outside the UPS head office in Atlanta.

This protests an agreement between UPS and DHL to hand over all of DHL's North American air cargo operations to UPS, one of its chief rivals.

"We're urging UPS to do the right thing - for American workers and American consumers - and stop this deal," said Pat Walsh, chairman of the ASTAR unit of ALPA. "UPS has a long history of delivering packages and business solutions. It should say 'No!' to delivering 10,000 pink slips to hard-working Americans."

ASTAR pilots carry roughly 50 per cent of the tonnage weight out of Wilmington, Ohio, at night for DHL, the world's largest international air express network. DHL is a 49 per cent owner of ASTAR and sits on ASTAR's board. ASTAR has been providing air cargo services to DHL for almost 30 years, said the union statement.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world's largest pilot union and represents 55,000 pilots at 40 airlines in the US and Canada, including more than 500 pilots at ASTAR.