ASTAR Air Cargo Crewmembers Blast DHL?s Recent Discussions with UPS

WILMINGTON, Ohio, May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ASTAR Air Cargo crewmembers, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today responded to the discussions between DHL and UPS that would shift the air lift required for all DHL North American domestic air overnight delivery service to UPS [NYSE: UPS] -- one of DHL’s chief competitors in the North American market.

This announcement comes less than three months after ALPA and ASTAR agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement with job security commitments from ASTAR that were approved and backed by DHL. DHL is a 49 percent owner of ASTAR, and is represented on ASTAR’s Board of Directors. ASTAR crewmembers carry roughly 50 percent of the weight out of Wilmington, Ohio, each night for DHL.

“Any decision by DHL to circumvent its commitments to both ASTAR and ALPA would be a despicable act and a demonstration of this corporation’s utter contempt for the many American workers who have devoted their careers to this company,� said Captain Pat Walsh, chairman of the ASTAR pilots’ union. “ALPA will do everything necessary to make sure that all aspects of these commitments are honored by both ASTAR and DHL.�

Walsh also said that ALPA intends to investigate the decision-making process at DHL, which is leading to the absurd result of a company depending on its chief competitor for the most crucial aspects of its express operation. The union also intends to inquire into why the details of DHL’s discussions with UPS apparently were intentionally kept from both ASTAR and ALPA during the negotiations between these parties -- negotiations which were carefully monitored and the results of which were approved by DHL.

ALPA has significant concerns that this course of conduct is completely inconsistent with DHL’s legal responsibilities and will seek to have this matter investigated by appropriate government authorities.

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