UPS pilots ratify new labor contract

UPS Airlines’ pilots represented by the Independent Pilots Association today ratified a new five-year labor agreement with over 91 percent voting in favor of the deal, according to a statement from the union.    UPS Inc. pilots represented by the Independent Pilots Association (IPA) voted today to ratify a new five-year labor contract, according to a statement from the union.
   The new collective bargaining agreement, which goes into effect tomorrow, covers more than 2,500 pilots at UPS Airlines, the parcel giant’s dedicated airfreight carrier.
   Over 98 percent of eligible member pilots participated in the vote, with over 91 percent voting in favor of the deal, IPA said.
   Under the terms of the new agreement, pilots will receive an immediate pay increase of 14.65 percent and 3 percent annual wage increases over the life of the contract, for a compounded increase of 29.04 percent.
   In addition, pilots will receive signing bonuses of $60,000 for Captains and $40,000 for First Officers, a 40 percent increase in their defined benefit pension plan, and crew rest enhancements, including more favorable duty period limits for overnight and international flights, sleep facilities at major gateways, and sleep modules in UPS B767 aircraft.
   UPS has also committed to work with the IPA in applying the latest in fatigue science to pilot scheduling.
   “Important gains were made in all areas of the contract to include improvements in the critical area of pilot scheduling,” IPA President Robert Travis said of the ratification. He added that “time will tell whether or not UPS is willing to embrace changes that could lead to a safer operation,” with regard to the company’s stated commitment to using fatigue science in scheduling.
   Travis said the IPA will continue to advocate for cargo’s inclusion into the duty and rest rules currently applicable only to passenger flying.
   The union in March made oral arguments to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a lawsuit challenging the Federal Aviation Administration’s exclusion of all-cargo operators from its Flightcrew Member Duty and Rest Requirements.
   The new FAA rules, similar to rest and restart requirements for truck drivers, are designed to increase the safety of passenger flight operations by limiting the potential for fatigue among pilots, but currently include an exemption for all-cargo operations.
   “Our advocacy for one level of aviation safety continues,” said Travis.