The Air Line Pilots Association filed a lawsuit against DHL Holdings USA in the Court of Common Pleas in Clinton, Ohio.

The union representing pilots at ASTAR Air Cargo filed suit against DHL this week over the express carrier's plans to turn its U.S. air transport business over to UPS.

ALPA alleges that DHL is breaching job security commitments made in return for benefits under the current labor contract and that it fraudulently induced the union to dismiss earlier lawsuits by making such commitments while it was engaged in secret discussions with UPS.

The Association is asking the court to enjoin DHL from moving its flying work from ASTAR to UPS. The union also wants compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys' fees and costs.

"We're going to fight this agreement in every way we can-including in the courts," said Capt. John Prater, president of ALPA. "Ten thousand hard-working Americans are depending on us to help save their jobs and communities. DHL has let them down-we won't."

Deutsche Post World Net owns DHL. ASTAR Air Cargo, which was formerly DHL Airways, operates from its U.S. base of operations in Wilmington, Ohio. DHL is still negotiating with United Parcel Service. Under the proposed agreement, UPS would move operations to its base in Atlanta. The move would eliminate approximately 10,000 jobs in and around Wilmington.