Although a federal judge recently granted a temporary restraining order keeping pilots who fly Amazon shipments from striking, the union that represents them isn’t giving up on airing the workers’ grievances, Instead, they’re taking the issue straight to consumers, warning that Amazon won’t be able to meet the holiday demand.
On Friday, a union that represents pilots who ferry products for Amazon, started running ads on Facebook and Google targeting Amazon customers that link back to a site called “CanAmazonDeliver.com”. The campaign is paid for by for by the Airline Professionals Association, Teamsters Local 1224.
“This holiday season, Amazon customers may want to think twice before ordering last-minute deliveries,” the website says, claiming that third-party contracted cargo airlines hired for Prime Air deliveries “don’t have enough pilots to meet the demands of Amazon because their experienced pilots are leaving for better jobs at other airlines.”
The union claims that Amazon taking a risk by working with these airlines, warning, “At this rate, there may not be enough pilots to deliver for Amazon around the holidays.”
Pilots who fly for ABX Air, an Amazon-backed cargo airline, had approved a potential strike back in May, claiming that the airline has been understaffed for nearly two years and that ABX had refused to hire back previously furloughed pilots because they would have had to be paid at the top of the wage scale. Instead, said the union, ABX hired a small number of less-expensive, less-experienced pilots.
ABX then sued the union in federal court, leading a judge to issue the restraining order against the striking pilots.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist