More than 1,100 DHL Express Teamster located at the Cincinnati/North Kentucky International Airport (CVG) announced their strike on Thursday, Dec. 7.
Union members are protesting against unfair labor practices and are demanding the company negotiate more fair contracts.
“For too long, DHL has walked all over our rights to collective action,” said Gina Kemp, a DHL-CVG ramp and tug worker. “We were forced to go on strike to put an end to DHL’s illegal anti-union behavior. 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.”
According to a news release, the workers voted to strike in April 2023.
The Teamster union group has filed a handful of unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board during and since the organizing campaign, including for DHL’s retaliation against pro-union workers. The NLRB is prosecuting the company civilly for its illegal actions.


DHL Express is a profitable division of Deutsche Post AG, a publicly traded global company based in Germany.
DHL Express alone recorded a $4.3 billion operating profit in 2022 from worldwide operations, while the parent company’s revenue topped $100 billion.
“DHL bosses are pocketing billions as many of these workers live paycheck to paycheck,” said Bill Hamilton, director of the Teamsters Express Division. “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.”
“DHL must stop breaking the law and give workers their fair share. They can afford it,” said Bill Davis, President of Local 100. “The company forced this work stoppage, but DHL has the opportunity to right this wrong by respecting our members and coming to terms on a strong contract.”
The union, the company said, has “decided to increase the external rhetoric and communicate inaccuracies around the status of these CVG Hub negotiations, we have consistently sought to bargain in good faith and to find constructive solutions at the negotiating table. The company’s contingency plan includes temporarily sending cargo to other DHL facilities and using supplemental airline or contractor staff at CVG to fill vacancies. We expect no disruption to services. Our customers should remain confident in our ability to provide the excellent service they expect and require.”