Judge grants injunction against further ABX pilot strikes
09 / 12 / 2016
A US district court judge has converted a temporary restraining order stopping ABX Air pilots from going on strike into preliminary injunction extending the ban on work stoppages and other service interruptions.
Yesterday, ATSG, the parent of ABX, said US District Court Judge Timothy Black ruled that disagreements between ABX Air and its pilots over work scheduling issues constitute a “minor dispute” and must be resolved under terms of the labor agreement between ABX Air and the union.
ATSG said: "The preliminary injunction effectively extends that order pending an as-yet unscheduled adjudication on a permanent injunction."
On November 22, 250 ABX pilots launched a strike that lasted for around a day in protest against of a claimed pilot shortage. It was bought to an end when Judge Black issued a temporary restraining order.
Pilots say they will appeal the decision.
"We disagree with the judge’s decision and have filed an expedited appeal to stand up for the long-term success of our airline," said ABX Air pilot Rick Ziebarth.
"We have a responsibility as pilots to make sure our customers are getting the high-quality service they expect, and we went on strike because ATSG and ABX Air executives refuse to make sure we have enough pilots to deliver for our customers like DHL and Amazon."
