WASHINGTON, D.C. - Uniformed pilots and professional flight engineers of Atlas Air, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), will conduct informational picketing at the annual shareholders meeting in New York City, on June 4, 2002, to voice their outrage with the company’s management. Atlas Air crewmembers have tried unsuccessfully to negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement with management for the past two years.

“Despite our negotiators’ good-faith efforts to bargain reasonably with Atlas Air management, management put its’ last, best offer on the table, which was unacceptable to the union. We believe the stockholders should know that we want to achieve a fair contract that would both recognize crewmembers’ contributions, and maintain the profitability and viability that will enable Atlas Air to grow and prosper,” said Capt. David Bourne, chairman of the Atlas Air pilots’ unit of ALPA. “They should also know that Atlas Air pilots will strike for a fair contract, if management leaves us no alternative.”

Negotiations began in April 2000. The National Mediation Board (NMB) assigned a federal mediator to facilitate the contract negotiations in September 2000. An inadequate tentative agreement was rejected in late January 2002. Crewmembers rejected a proffer of arbitration by the NMB last week, prompting the NMB to release both crewmembers and management from negotiations, and triggering the mandatory 30-day countdown to a potential strike at 12:01 a.m. on June 28.Ê

Atlas Air is a worldwide all-cargo carrier that operates a fleet of Boeing 747 freighters primarily under long-term contracts to the world`s major international airlines. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc.

——-