Amerijet On Strike!

[Polar742]

The word is getting out!!

Another article about a 6 plane airline:

Alleging Amerijet International’s “working conditions, maintenance practices and perverse contract incentives…place schools, neighborhoods, the environment and the flying public at significant risk,” the Business Travel Coalition is calling on the United States Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the Florida-Based airline.
August 27, the all-cargo airline’s 62 pilots and flight engineers went on strike, a result of what the Business Travel Coalition labels “toxic working conditions.” Among those purported conditions according to a prepared release by BTC: an absence of toilets aboard the carrier's Boeing 727s. “Female pilots are required to squat and defecate into bags,” alleges BTC. “Male pilots likewise urinate into bags just outside the cockpit doors, hanging them on hooks when finished.” The Business Travel Coalition further alleges, “There is no food or water onboard and no sanitary facilities in which to wash up.”
BTC reserves its harshest criticism for what it maintains are the airline’s maintenance and sick leave practices. BTC says three to four times per month Amerijet International’s aircraft “are forced to return to Miami International Airport because the same maintenance problems that are constantly written up do not get properly addressed.”
The Business Travel Coalition goes on to allege that low salaries and long work days “combine to create pilot fatigue, poor morale and dangerous crew resource management problems.” The coalition contends, “Pilots who call out sick within two to two-and-one-half hours of their flight, and even up to seven hours prior, are docked the equivalent of two-days pay.” And that, contends BTC, creates “a condition that pressures pilots to fly even when sick or exhausted.”
Business Travel Coalition Chairman Kevin Mitchell labels the working conditions that faced Amerijet International cockpit crews, “worse than the sweatshops of the 1930s.”
Echoing Mitchell’s concerns involving Amerijet International is Mike Cleary, president of the US Airline Pilots Association, a group representing US Airways pilots. In a separate prepared statement, Cleary says, “We understand that Amerijet is refusing to provide adequate sick time and even food, water or in flight lavatories to its crews while on the job.” Cleary contends the alleged circumstances constitute “issues of aviation safety and common human decency.”
Examiner.com tried no less than half-a-dozen times to contact Amerijet International for a comment on the allegations. Messages to two different officials were left over a six-hour period of time. As of the time of this article’s posting, no calls had been returned.

 

[scooter2525]

It comes as a surprise with the negative press some airlines have been getting, the last thing a carrier would want would be to draw negative attention to themselves.

 

[Polar742]

http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/3681

Press area


<!-- Page content start --> ITF backs Amerijet strike
1 September 2009
The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) today publicly backed the pilots and flight engineers of Miami-based Amerijet Air Cargo, who went on strike last week in pursuit of fair working conditions. The Federation is asking its member unions – especially in Caribbean and Latin American destinations served by the airline – to show their support.
Gabriel Mocho, Secretary of the ITF’s Civil Aviation Section, commented: “The Teamsters union, to which the striking flight personnel belong, has asked us to join the groundswell of support for them and their refusal to accept steadily degrading working conditions, wages, and even having their pay docked when they’re off ill – something that is incompatible with running safe flights. We have today asked our affiliated unions to do all they can to express lawful support for them.”
He added: “We are heartened to hear that pilots, crews and ground staff from a range of aviation unions are publicly backing these workers and either joining them on the picket lines or refusing to cross them. Amerijet has become a byword for low pay and shabby treatment, and the revulsion that is being expressed is a direct result of this.”

 

[Polar742]

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/08/24/daily79.html?t=printable

Friday, August 28, 2009
Amerijet workers walk off job

South Florida Business Journal - by Bill Frogameni

<!-- begin story media --> <!-- end story media --> <!-- begin storycontent --> Pilots and flight engineers of cargo carrier Amerijet International went on strike Thursday.
The flight crewmembers of the Fort Lauderdale-based cargo airline – which operates primarily out of Miami International Airport – have been attempting to negotiate a contract since early in 2004, said a spokeswoman for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents the workers.
The key reason for the strike is Amerijet’s insistence on a five-year contract without any raise in the last 20 months of the contract's term, spokeswoman Daisy Gonzalez said. The union also is concerned that flight crewmembers are being unfairly penalized for taking sick time. This is a potential safety issue, Gonzalez added.
“We are ready, willing and able to sit down with the company for a fair and equitable contract,” she said.
The average Amerijet first officer's pay was $36,000 a year before the 10 percent cut earlier this year, according to Gonzalez.
Pamela Rollins, Amerijet’s senior VP for business development, said in a news release that the company was disappointed in the Teamsters’ “inability to reach a fair agreement” and their decision to strike. "While we regret [the Teamsters’] decision to strike, we have prepared for this contingency.”
Amerijet has continued to operate without interruption, said Christine Richard, a company spokeswoman said in an interview.
The Teamsters represent 58 Amerijet flight crewmembers, Gonzalez said. The company has about 560 employees in its cargo operations, she noted.
Amerijet is the 10th-largest carrier of short tons at Miami International Airport, MIA data shows. A short ton is defined as 2,000 pounds.
The company handled 68,021 short tons, or 4 percent of the total volume, during the 12 months ended July 31. However, Amerijet saw a 16.6 percent year-over-year decline in short tons handled.
Amerijet has operated at MIA for about 27 or 28 years years, Richard said. Most of the cargo they fly are exports. The bulk of the cargo, about 40 percent, goes to the Caribbean, Amerijet’s stronghold, she added.
“They’re a significant carrier in the cargo area,” airport spokesman Marc Henderson said.
Last month, Amerijet said it had acquired a majority interest in Nations Express, a nationwide express trucking company based in Charlotte, N.C., which operates about 200 trucks.

<!-- end storycontent -->

 

[Polar742]

Company says it's using scabs:

sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-amerijet-teamsters-business-082809,0,2716017.story
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Amerijet says flights continue with fill-ins despite Teamsters' strike

Amerijet cargo airline keeps operating despite strike by flight crew members

By Doreen Hemlock
Sun-Sentinel.com
10:47 AM EDT, August 28, 2009
Amerijet International cargo airline said it continues to operate its usual schedule despite a strike called Thursday by the union representing its flight crew members.

The Fort Lauderdale-based company said nearly five years of talks with the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters for a contract resulted in an impasse, and the union representing about 60 flight crew members called a strike starting Thursday at 4 p.m.

Amerijet said it is "disappointed" in the union decision, but can not meet Teamsters' demands in today's tough economic times. The airline said it "prepared for this contingency" and mobilized others to fill in for unionized crews in order to maintain service to clients who depend on Amerijet for such basics as meat, fruit and other perishables. [but they don't have toilets on the aircraft. So the crews are defecating by the meat and fruit without a sanitary area to do so - ed.]

Amerijet offers cargo flights from its Miami hub mainly to the Caribbean and Latin America and also, provides trucking, cold storage and other related services. It employs about 550 people, said marketing director Christine Richards.

 

[Polar742]

More from the company:


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Amerijet-Continues-Operations-prnews-2980109776.html?x=0&.v=1

Amerijet Continues Operations Despite IBT's Attempt to Strike

• Press Release
• Source: Amerijet International, Inc.
• On Thursday August 27, 2009, 6:39 pm EDT<input name="assettype" value="article" type="hidden"> <input name="votetype" value="1" type="hidden"> <input name="from" value="orion" type="hidden"> <input name="key" value="c508d" type="hidden"> <input name=".crumb" value="zhTZu3J6f/5" type="hidden"><button type="submit"></button>

• • <form method="post" action="http://buzz.yahoo.com/vote/" class="buzz" id="media-buzz-top"></form>

<!-- ./end of article hd --> FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Amerijet International, Inc. announced today that its negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) for a new collective bargaining agreement covering its flight crewmembers has been unsuccessful, and that the IBT has elected to call a strike at Amerijet.


<!--- Insert the sidebar information -->
<!-- Article Related Media --> Amerijet and IBT have been attempting to reach a collective bargaining agreement for nearly five years and remain at a standstill, with both parties at an impasse on the central issues.


"We are disappointed that IBT's inability to reach a fair agreement has resulted in their decision to strike," said Pamela Rollins, SVP Business Development "the demands were simply not justified in any respect, particularly given the current competitive and economic environment."
[By "demands", are you talking about the 10% the company took unilaterally from an entire cockpit that makes maybe 100k combined, or them asking for toilets and drinking water? It's a fact that your company acquired 5 B767s and 2 trucking companies during "the current competitive and economic environment" - ed.]



"While we regret IBT's decision to strike, we have prepared for this contingency," said Rollins. Amerijet has continued to operate its published flight schedule and has experienced no interruption of service to its customers.


Amerijet International, Inc. is a full-service multi-modal transportation and logistics provider, offering international, scheduled all-cargo transport via land, sea, and air. Florida-based Amerijet operates offices all over the world, serving destinations throughout the America's, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Amerijet operates Boeing 727-200 and Boeing 767-200 aircraft from its primary hub at Miami International Airport, with 210,000-square-foot export and 100, 000-square-foot imports air cargo handling facilities and a 50,000-square-foot ocean cargo facility. A custom-built 10,300 square-foot (227,419 cu. ft.) cooling facility was specially designed to maintain the cool chain integrity of perishables during the transportation process. In addition to the state-of-the-art design features, multiple pre-cooling systems, and 24 hour surveillance, the refrigerated storage space is subdivided into four climate-controlled chambers offering not only refrigerated, but frozen, and chilled storage. For additional information, visit Amerijet on the web at www.amerijet.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Christine Richard, Amerijet International at 954-320-5300

 

[MikeD]

Amerijet International, Inc. is a full-service multi-modal transportation and logistics provider, offering international, scheduled all-cargo transport via land, sea, and air. Florida-based Amerijet operates offices all over the world, serving destinations throughout the America's, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Amerijet operates Boeing 727-200 and Boeing 767-200 aircraft from its primary hub at Miami International Airport, with 210,000-square-foot export and 100, 000-square-foot imports air cargo handling facilities and a 50,000-square-foot ocean cargo facility. A custom-built 10,300 square-foot (227,419 cu. ft.) cooling facility was specially designed to maintain the cool chain integrity of perishables during the transportation process. In addition to the state-of-the-art design features, multiple pre-cooling systems, and 24 hour surveillance, the refrigerated storage space is subdivided into four climate-controlled chambers offering not only refrigerated, but frozen, and chilled storage. For additional information, visit Amerijet on the web at www.amerijet.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Christine Richard, Amerijet International at 954-320-5300

Amerijet can afford all the above bolded high-dollar storage and cargo transfer facilities, yet they can't provide for Lav service and basic refreshments in their aircraft for their crews????

The gall of them to even publish this.......

 

[Polar742]

Amerijet can afford all the above bolded high-dollar storage and cargo transfer facilities, yet they can't provide for Lav service and basic refreshments in their aircraft for their crews????

The gall of them to even publish this.......

That's the sad part. These guys aren't aiming for 300k working 10 days a month.

They are asking to get their paycut back, plus a couple percent per year, and toilets and water on their airplanes. They barely make enough to bounce paycheck to paycheck. And they want basic human rights for working conditions.

Their company said they have unreasonable demands.

Sad.

 

[MikeD]

That's the sad part. These guys aren't aiming for 300k working 10 days a month.

They are asking to get their paycut back, plus a couple percent per year, and toilets and water on their airplanes. They barely make enough to bounce paycheck to paycheck. And they want basic human rights for working conditions.

Their company said they have unreasonable demands.

Sad.

Agree! They're not asking for anything remotely unreasonable or contentious....

And even WORSE......people would actually SCAB for this operation and WILLINGLY put up with that crap?!?!? How that even remotely worth it?!?! Where is their self-respect!?!?

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

Not to mention AmeriJet has been on an acquisition party lately haven't they?

 

[WacoFan]

Man...you airline pilots are spoiled. You want a snack, water AND a place to take a dump...along with your 10% concession you gave up. Wow...can't believe the greed of these guys...

Serious question - if only 20% of the pilots scabbed, who is picking up the majority of the flying? The articles say they haven't had any decrease in service.

 

[Firebird2XC]

Definitely matriculated the ball down the field, but I don't know if you could call it a touchdown.

Okay, but do you still have possession of the ball?

 

[subpilot]

Serious question - if only 20% of the pilots scabbed, who is picking up the majority of the flying? The articles say they haven't had any decrease in service.

They are obviously spinning the truth. When it comes to making PR statements I do not see a difference between management and politicians.

 

[Polar742]

This is the AMJ CEO's wife gig: http://www.kandeeg.com/index.asp

Motivational speaker.

Interesting topics she has.

Oh, and a radio show too....

 

[727to7400]

This is the AMJ CEO's wife gig: http://www.kandeeg.com/index.asp

Motivational speaker.

Interesting topics she has.

Oh, and a radio show too....

Now you're not suggesting that pilots or their wives call in tomorrow or Monday between 3 and 4 pm, and ask why she and her husband; who gives a testimonial on her web page, treat their employees like crap...are you???:rotfl:

And you're SURELY NOT suggesting that people email South Florida's ONLY Business Radio station, 880 "The Biz" at:

http://www.880thebiz.com/contactus.asp....are you???:yup:

And you can't be suggesting that people should call their advertisers and tell them they won't do business with a radionstation who employs someone like that, would you???

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

 

[Diego Dangers.]

Now you're not suggesting that pilots or their wives call in tomorrow or Monday between 3 and 4 pm, and ask why she and her husband; who gives a testimonial on her web page, treat their employees like crap...are you???:rotfl:

And you're SURELY NOT suggesting that people email South Florida's ONLY Business Radio station, 880 "The Biz" at:

http://www.880thebiz.com/contactus.asp....are you???:yup:

And you can't be suggesting that people should call their advertisers and tell them they won't do business with a radionstation who employs someone like that, would you???

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

link fail

http://www.880thebiz.com/contactus.asp

 

[727to7400]

Try www.880thebiz.com

Of course, we could ALL be wrong...According to her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/Kandee-G/59404624076?_fb_noscript=1#/pages/Kandee-G/59404624076?v=wall&viewas=0 :

"...Kandee G is the founder and president of Kandee G Enterprises. She is also an internationally recognized author, speaker, trainer, coach, radio and TV personality. Kandee G Enterprises is a 21st century coaching and training firm for personal and professional greatness. KGE is the new face of Corporate America. KGE is consistently producing extraordinary results with individuals and organizations utilizing their signature service, "The Vision Program." Kandee G Enterprises is the leading edge by teaching people how to transform their thoughts, so they can transform their lives and their companies. Kandee G and her team, the G force will help you to tap into the power of collective visioning. Catch Kandee G, host of “Nothing But Good News” on Monday & Thursday at 3 p.m. on station 880 am in Miami or on www.KandeeG.com..."

Such an impressive mind behind the CEO is surely formidable:rotfl:

I wonder if she can get me a deal on a "Sham Wow"???

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Serious question - if only 20% of the pilots scabbed, who is picking up the majority of the flying? The articles say they haven't had any decrease in service.

Remember, the strike is only a week old now. You can run an amazing amount of flying on a handful of scabs for a very short period of time. After that, the scabs start to time out rapidly, and things get more difficult for management. The schedule will start to suffer, as long as the rest of the pilots hold the lines and they don't start trickling back.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

ALPA's official statement of support:

As many of you know, Amerijet crewmembers have been on strike for six days. This unfortunate turn of events is a result of being locked in a bitter dispute with management. These men and women are looking for basic improvements in their first contract while dealing with a company that has shown no respect for them or the negotiating process.

Although Amerijet is not an ALPA carrier, it is imperative that we support all airline pilots in the fight for fair and equitable contracts. To that end, if any of you are in the Miami area and are willing to support the pilots and flight engineers of Amerijet, they will be picketing the offices of the airline 24/7. The offices are located next to the ATC tower in Cargo City at Miami International Airport. The address is:

Amerijet International
6185 NW 18 ST BLG 716-B
Miami, FL 33142

The pilots and flight engineers of Amerijet, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 769, have not yet contacted ALPA for support in the strike. However, we want to make it clear that ALPA fully supports the Amerijet crewmembers in this dispute. A delegation from ALPA’s national Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee will travel to Miami to offer its assistance to the crewmembers of Amerijet.

Nothing displays our solidarity more than showing support through e-mails or letters of support, or better yet, walking the picket line.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Our letter to the AirTran pilot group:

Fellow pilots,

As you probably already know, the Amerijet pilots have been on strike since last Thursday afternoon. The Amerijet pilots have been in contract negotiations for several years for their first collective bargaining agreement, and Amerijet management has shown them little respect and has refused to bargain in good-faith. The improvements the pilots are looking for are hardly unreasonable. Surprisingly, items as basic as food and restroom facilities on long-haul flights are still in dispute.

Although Amerijet is not an ALPA carrier, it is imperative that we support all airline pilots in the fight for fair and equitable contracts. To that end, if any of you are in the Miami area and are willing to support the pilots and flight engineers of Amerijet, they will be picketing the airline offices 24/7. The offices are located next to the ATC tower in Cargo City at Miami International Airport. The address is:

Amerijet International
6185 NW 18 ST BLG 716-B
Miami, FL 33142

Please keep in mind that our recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with management prohibits us from wearing our AirTran uniforms to picket against other companies, so please do not wear your AirTran wings or hat badge.

Nothing displays our solidarity as professional airline pilots more than walking the picket line with union brothers and sisters from other carriers. Remember, it may not be too long before we are asking the Amerijet pilots to walk our picket lines.

In unity,

Your Master Executive Council