Air Transport Services Group’s airline subsidiary, ABX Air, is reported to be taking multiple steps to resolve and end an illegal work stoppage that began today by its pilots represented by the Airline Professionals Association of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 1224.
“We will seek a court order later today to restore the status quo operating environment, even as we continue discussions with union representatives about specific issues of concern,” ABX Air President John Starkovich said today. “We expect the court will uphold our position that the actions taken by the union to refuse work assignments is not legal, and the issues involved constitute a minor dispute to be resolved via arbitration under terms of our current labor agreements.”
At the same time, Starkovich said, “ABX Air is notifying its customers and other affected parties about temporary interruptions in ABX’s flight operations, allowing them to adjust their networks until pilots return to work and normal flight operations resume. We stand ready to assist our customers in any way we can to minimize any impact on their own operations during this critical holiday period.”