As of Thursday morning, over 1,100 DHL Express Teamsters at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport have officially gone on strike to protest what they deem as unfair labor practices.
On Sunday, DHL Teamsters at CVG announced that 98% of their ranks had voted to authorize a strike. The workers cited the desire for a new contract and a need for improved worksite safety protocols.
“We were forced to go on strike to put an end to DHL’s illegal anti-union behavior,” said Gina Kemp, a DHL CVG ramp and tug worker. “This company’s repeated acts of disrespect — from the tarmac where we work to the bargaining table — leave me and my co-workers with no choice but to withhold our labor.”
DHL has played a significant role in CVG’s reinvention as a national air cargo hub. The German shipping and logistics giant’s North American Superhub is located at the airport. It is the sixth largest employer in Northern Kentucky, with approximately 3,000 workers.
The strike comes on the heels of an October protest in which dozens of DHL ramp and tug workers gathered at the corner of Ted Bushelman Blvd. in Florence. Individual DHL workers provided testimonials that detailed injuries they suffered on DHL’s campus.
“DHL bosses are pocketing billions as many of these workers live paycheck to paycheck,” said Bill Hamilton, director of the Teamsters Express Division, in a press release. “Meanwhile, this anti-worker company has the audacity to disrespect rank-and-file workers who are simply trying to stand up for themselves at the bargaining table. Enough is enough.”
In a public statement, DHL said the strike was “fully anticipated”. DHL has told the Teamsters it will not schedule negotiations with the union this year after Dec. 7. The two sides have been in negotiations since July.
Back in April, nearly 1,100 of the 3,000 DHL-CVG ramp and tug workers voted to join the Teamsters Local 100 labor union. In total, the Teamsters represent over DHL 6,000 workers across the United States.
The month prior, DHL workers held public demonstrations outside the company’s Northern Kentucky headquarters, where they demanded the company’s upper management stop interfering with their organizing efforts.
