Miami-based cargo airline Amerijet and its pilots’ union have reached a preliminary agreement on a new three-year contract that includes pay raises near 45%, as well as significant improvements to schedules, work rules and retirement security, the Air Line Pilots Association announced Monday afternoon.
Amerijet has 272 pilots, according to ALPA’s website.
“I am thrilled that the years of hard work and dedication our negotiating committee has given can finally be shared with our pilots to vote on,” said Capt. Tim Millar, chair of the Amerijet ALPA Master Executive Council. “The days of our pilots working under an incredibly subpar and outdated contract will soon be over. It is my sincere hope that the improvements in pay, quality of life, retirement, and insurance will enable the company to recruit and retain pilots to sustain our continued growth into new markets.”
The tentative agreement now goes to union members for ratification. Three weeks of voting will begin on June 2. If approved, the agreement will take effect June 26, ALPA said.
The union said the contract was changed from top to bottom to address pilot issues.
Amerijet has rapidly grown its fleet during the past three years and now has 25 Boeing 757 and 767 cargo jets as it expands service to the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and now Asia. In October, the company began operating flights from Seoul, South Korea, to South Carolina under contract with Danish logistics and shipping giant Maersk. It also opened a temporary pilot base at Incheon airport in Seoul to support the expansion and the subsequent route addition to China.
Other Amerijet customers include DHL Express, the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Defense.
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