Anchorage is home to more than 500 FedEx pilots. About 80 of them were on the picket line at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport departure drive-through on Wednesday, saying they want a contract now and are done negotiating. Others who didn’t make the picket were in the air or in far-flung airports such as Shanghai or Memphis International Airport, the busiest cargo airport in America.
The Air Line Pilots Association, International represents the pilots, and negotiations have gone on since May of 2021. In April of this year, the association leaders called for a strike authorization vote of the member pilots.
The strike authorization ballot closes on May 17. After that, the association will be authorized to call a strike at any time, which could have an effect on the flow of cargo throughout the country and could cause uncertainty in Alaska’s cities, towns, and villages that rely on air cargo
Nationwide the company has over 5,000 pilots, which makes Anchorage a significant center for the company workforce.
