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News Release

Release #01.68
July 6, 2001

Media Advisory
ALPA Atlas Pilots to Conduct Informational Picketing at Corporate Headquarters

HERNDON, VA – Uniformed pilots and professional flight engineers of Atlas Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), will conduct two weeks of informational picketing at the company’s headquarters in Purchase, NY, beginning on July 9, 2001, to voice their outrage with the economics/job security proposal recently offered by the company at the negotiating table.

"Despite our negotiators’ good-faith efforts to bargain reasonably with Atlas management, this grossly inadequate economics and job security proposal is a slap in the face to the pilots and flight engineers who helped build this company," said John Caputo, chairman of the ALPA Atlas pilots’ Strike Preparedness and Communications committees. "In our opinion, the company’s job security proposal, in particular, sets a new record for bad scope clauses.

"Notwithstanding public statements to the contrary, the company’s recent proposal calls into serious question whether makes it perfectly clear that Atlas management has the no intention to rapidly conclude negotiations to achieve a fair collective bargaining agreement."

The Atlas cockpit crews since April 2000 have been attempting to negotiate their first labor contract with airline management. The National Mediation Board assigned a federal mediator to facilitate the contract negotiations in September 2000. 

Atlas is the world’s third-largest cargo carrier and the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747 freighters. Last year, the airline received the distinction of being ranked the world’s most financially fit carrier. Celebrating its 70th anniversary, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilots union, representing 66,000 members at 47 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at cf.alpa.org.

EVENT: ALPA Atlas Pilots’ Informational Picketing at Corporate Headquarters

                                                  DATES: July 9, 2001-July 20, 2001

TIMES: 7 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-5 p.m. daily during the two-week duration

LOCATION: Atlas Air Corporate Headquarters, 2000 Westchester Avenue, Purchase, NY

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Contact: John Caputo, Strike Preparedness and Communications chairman, 410-810-9023