Judge OKs injunction request against ABX pilots flying for Amazon, DHL

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. on Wednesday won a preliminary injunction that stops strikes and other service interruptions of ATSG’s cargo airline subsidiary ABX Air, Inc., ATSG officials said in a prepared statement.

RELATED: Judge orders striking cargo pilots back to work

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Black on Nov. 23 issued a temporary restraining order against the pilots after he determined that disagreements between ABX Air and its pilots over work scheduling issues constitute a “minor dispute” and must be resolved under terms of the labor agreement between ABX Air and the union.

The preliminary injunction effectively extends that order, pending an as-yet unscheduled adjudication on a permanent injunction, ATSG officials said.

Later Thursday, ABX Pilot Rick Ziebarth issued a statement in response, saying that ABX Air has been “severely understaffed” for more than a year.

“ABX is trying to put a band-aid on a crisis that will only get worse, and customers should be gravely concerned about how it will impact them,” he said in the written statement.

The union said further it disagreed with the judge’s decision and has filed an expedited appeal “to stand up for the long-term success of our airline.”

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