Dragging Negotiations Send Aviators Off the Beaten Path

Air Transport International pilots started their picket at the Dayton Air Show, hoping to drum up some notoriety given their employer's sponsorship of the event.

The pilots aren't too happy with ATI, believing that "a career as a pilot at ATI is getting increasingly difficult as ATSG management fails to recognize the value they bring to the overall success of the airline." The Dayton Air Show was a fine spot to picket, giving the pilots somewhere to hang out on a Saturday afternoon and reach a base of aviation enthusiasts that would never otherwise become privy to the intricacies of airline labor. ATI pilots are, unsurprisingly, discontented with their pay (a historical trend, judging from any conversation with former ATI fellows) and a multi-year negotiation that's gone nowhere. Those unfamiliar with ATI should know they account for a good chunk of air cargo operations for Amazon, meaning a strike could really hit some Prime shopping addicts hard if things get that far.

“Four years in negotiations for a market-based contract is unacceptable and it’s driving our hardworking, experienced pilots from ATI at an alarming rate,” said ATI ALPA Master Executive Council chair Captain Mike Sterling. “ATI pilots consistently deliver profits and excellent performance, yet ATSG continues to fail to deliver us the contract we deserve.”

Both Air Transport International and the union have been at it for years now, and in mediation since 2023. The Master Executive Committee says that they haven't made "any meaningful progress on big-ticket issues, including compensation and retirement."

Sterling described their decision to hit up the show as a way to affect change in future pilot crops. “ATI pilots showed up this weekend because we are disappointed and frustrated at the slow progress from management. We hope the future pilots inspired by this weekend’s Dayton Air Show begin careers in an industry where every airline values the skill, experience, expertise, and dedication of professional airline pilots.”

FMI: www.ati.alpa.org