Release #01.83
August 16, 2001

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Contrary to claims made by Emery Worldwide that its freight transportation operations are continuing "without disruption" despite the suspension of Emery Worldwide Airlines flight operations, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) says that the grounding of the airline’s fleet because of safety issues is just the start of the Emery’s problems.

"Recently, Emery began to layoff pilots in an effort to shift flying to a number of subcontractors," said Capt. Mark Luthi, the chairman of the Emery unit at ALPA.

"These layoffs, and the subsequent movement of work to subcontractors, are the subject of major union grievances that are scheduled for hearing and a decision by a neutral arbitrator later this month."

With Monday’s shutdown of the airline, Emery has further accelerated its replacement of unionized employees with subcontractors and additional legal action has been taken in grievances naming the airline as well as a related freight forwarding company, Emery Worldwide. "With the potential of substantial liability for back pay for hundreds of employees, with its aircraft grounded, and with considerable limits placed on the amount of subcontracting Emery will be allowed to do, the airline and related corporations could face serious financial as well as legal problems in coming months," Luthi said.

"It appears that Emery will be unable to meet the needs of its customers and there will be continued reliability problems due to the shutdown with approximately 30 aircraft temporarily grounded," Luthi said. "The parent company, CNF, has attempted to put a good face on the continuing series of setbacks but so far the only solution management of the parent company has come up with is to violate and ignore union contracts."

"Contacts with airline managers indicate that they are being kept in the dark by CNF management and have no idea what is being planned by their counterparts at CNF," Luthi added. "They have been unable to offer any information to the hundreds of employees whose lives have been thrown into turmoil by the sudden decision to close the doors of the airline. Requests that meetings be held with the union leadership have so far been met with silence."

ALPA is the union representing most commercial airline pilots in North America, and is the industry’s leading safety advocate. It represents 66,000 pilots at 47 carriers in the U.S. and Canada.

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ALPA Contacts: John Mazor, Anya Piazza (703) 481-4440