Release #02.014
February 22, 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 621 pilots and flight engineers of Atlas Air have declined to ratify the tentative labor agreement reached on January 25. Vote results announced on February 19 indicated that 70 percent of the group voted against the proposed four-year agreement.

Atlas Air crewmembers, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International, and airline management began negotiations on a first contract in April 1999.

Capt. Greg Amussen, chairman of the Atlas Air unit of ALPA, issued the following statement regarding the vote: "Our negotiating committee and ALPA professional staff devoted a tremendous amount of time and energy to making sure our pilots and flight engineers understood what was contained in this agreement. Because portions of the agreement dealing with work rules, scheduling and travel procedures simply were not acceptable. However, our flight crews chose not to ratify it. I’m confident our newly elected Atlas Air pilot officers will work with the National Mediation Board to quickly achieve a successful contract."

Capt. David Bourne, chairman-elect of the Atlas Air unit commented on upcoming negotiations, saying: "I’m looking forward to a resumption of negotiations in the very near future. Our new team is working to identify issues so that we get this agreement ratified with the best terms available for Atlas crewmembers. We want to continue the success of Atlas Air that our late CEO Michael Chowdry espoused when he started our company ten years ago this week. We need to keep his dream alive."

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 www.alpa.org.

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ALPA Contact: Ron Lovas, 703.481.4440