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Postal Workers Protest DHL Move from Ohio |
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More than 50 Postal Workers (APWU), community activists and other members of the “Save the Jobs, Save the Community” coalition from Wilmington, Ohio—where DHL is threatening to shut down its air delivery hub and eliminate more than 8,000 jobs—protested at the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., yesterday.
The German-owned DHL took over the package carrier Airborne Express in 2003, in a deal made possible by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and his campaign manager, Rick Davis.
According to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), DHL received some “$400 million in direct and indirect incentives” to maintain its Wilmington operation and jobs—and now is seeking a deal to transfer its air delivery to its competitor UPS. Lawmakers say that may violate anti-trust laws. Following the morning protest, a U.S. House committee examined the pending job loss and anti-trust implications.
A large group of DHL workers was fighting to win a voice at work with APWU, but that election was first delayed by unfair labor practices that resulted in charges and then overturned. Unfair labor practice charges are pending against DHL.
Earlier this summer, APWU joined with community activists to form the “Save the Jobs” coalition. According to a coalition statement:
DHL received massive public tax incentives for the Wilmington hub with the corporate promise of jobs for the long run. Shame on DHL, a profitable global company, for turning their back on the hard working employees of southern Ohio.
At the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, Brown told the committee:
Considering the lengths the state of Ohio and surrounding communities took to welcome DHL to Wilmington, including more than $400 million in direct and indirect incentives. Considering this, DHL’s behavior is hardly the model of corporate responsibility.
The past three-and-a-half months have been difficult for thousands of families in Ohio. Their futures are at a stake. If this deal goes through, jobs will be lost, homes will be lost and communities will face even more challenges….With more than 8,000 jobs in the balance, the proposed UPS-DHL is an economic disaster.
Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) said the proposal
has large implications on the U.S. express mail market—in particular the potential for anticompetitive practices. Like with passenger airline mergers, we must make sure that consumers and employees do not end up paying a hefty price for consolidation or contractual arrangements.
Air Line Pilots (ALPA) President Capt. John Prater said the DHL-UPS deal should be delayed until the U.S. Department of Justice investigates possible anti-trust violations.
Yesterday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) reiterated his call for a Justice Department anti-trust investigation into DHL’s proposal to shut down the Wilmington hub. After the role of McCain and Davis in the original DHL/Airborne merger came to light this summer, McCain has said he also supports a review of DHL’s proposed transaction. But McCain’s change of heart contradicts his long record of support for outsourcing U.S. jobs.
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Mike I’m sure not sure whether or not you are trying to imply anything, but that DHL hub was well established before the purchase of Airborne. I also was not aware of any union alliance within DHL. If there still is not an alliance were there any demonstrations when the vast majority of couriers were let go in favor of the cheaper Airborne counterparts? My guess is that no one cared then because someone was still picking up and delivering.