LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 1,000 workers at the DHL air hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport are headed back to work after a 12-day strike, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
The union said it has won commitments for "enhanced workplace safety, higher wages, and better benefits" in an upcoming labor contract that will be presented to its members.
The workers "came out in this fight on top and helped us send a message to all workers that we can reclaim what we’ve earned when we fight shoulder-to-shoulder and refuse to back down," said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman in a news release from the union.
A DHL Express spokeswoman confirmed the company "has reached tentative agreements over a number of issues within their ongoing negotiations" with the Teamsters.
"While there are additional details to be finalized, we remain committed in continuing to bargain in good faith until a final agreement can be reached," said DHL’s Pam Duque.
About 1,100 workers who load and unload DHL cargo planes at the airport — DHL’s biggest air hub in the United States — voted in April to join the Teamsters.
The workers at the DHL hub have similar jobs as those at the UPS global air hub in Louisville, which has long been organized by the Teamsters.
The DHL workers voted to join the Teamsters in April just as high-stakes contract talks between the union and DHL’s rival, UPS, were ramping up. The union and UPS reached a deal in August without a threatened strike.
DHL managed through the strike by deploying "contingency plans," Duque said.Â
Because of holiday shopping, November and December are the "peak season" for shipping companies.
"These temporary agreements will now allow for our operations to resume with all of our employees on duty, and our customers should remain confident in our ability to provide the excellent service they expect and require," Duque said.
