Hoffa, Teamster Leaders Rally With DHL and ABX Air Workers

Union Working to Ensure Strong Jobs, Demands Workers' Organizing Be Unobstructed


Approximately 300 DHL and ABX Air, Inc. employees rallied with Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa and other union leaders today, demonstrating solidarity for ABX Air employees fighting to build unions at their workplace. The 1,200 ABX Air aircraft mechanics and 5,000 workers in ABX Air's sort center are working to join the Teamsters in order to gain respect and a voice on the job.

"Let me be clear: we're talking about ensuring that American workers have strong jobs today and in the future," Hoffa said. "We're going to get good jobs here and we'll watch this company and Wilmington grow."

The union's goal is to include all workers who deliver for DHL -- including employees at ABX Air, DHL's major cargo carrier-under Teamster contracts. Already, more than 12,000 workers in the DHL system are Teamsters. "We represent ABX Air pilots, drivers at DHL and its ICCs [independent cartage carriers], and workers at the DHL gateways. The workers organizing as Teamsters in Wilmington is the next logical step," said Hoffa.

"People here are going through the same thing we went through," said Don Schmidt, a sorter at DHL gateway at JFK Airport in New York City. "But I tell every worker I meet at ABX Air: 'I went through exactly what you're going through, but you can build your union, and you have the full support of the Teamsters behind you.'"

Approximately 750 ABX Air pilots are members of Teamsters Local 1224 in Wilmington. Their contract provides pilots with the highest rate of pay in the air transportation industry. The union has made Ohio a central location in its quest to represent workers across the range of the DHL delivery system, organizing numerous ICCs in a statewide push.

Rally attendees marched to ABX's administration building and presented a signed poster, demanding the company respect its workers' goal of unionizing.

Teamster members from UPS and other companies joined Teamster leaders, including Jeff Farmer, Teamsters Director Organizing, Cheryl Johnson, director of the Teamsters Human Rights Department, Don Treichler, Teamsters Airline Division Director and Roger Insprucker, President of the Ohio Council of Teamsters.