Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Atlas Air, Blocks Work Slowdown

Ruling in favor of Atlas Air Inc. and Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc., a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld a district court injunction prohibiting organized labor slowdowns considered to be violations of the Railway Labor Act.

The injunction prohibits the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Airline Division, and Local Union No. 1224, which appealed the district court decision, from excessively calling in sick and declining to work overtime.

The Court of Appeals also affirmed the district court ruling that the pilot unions must avoid interfering in Atlas Air’s operations and must “maintain the status quo,” Atlas Air said in a news release.

“We value the hard work and dedication of our pilots, and look forward to continuing negotiations for a joint collective bargaining agreement in connection with our merger of Atlas Air and Southern Air” Atlas Air Worldwide CEO William J. Flynn says. “We are committed to negotiating an updated agreement that reflects the current market and the significant role our pilots play in the success of our company.”

The preliminary injunction dates back to 2017.