Defending Business Continuity in High-Stakes Labor Disputes

April 9, 2025

In 2023, Bond successfully defended SkyHop, a national airline crew transportation service, against an initial Teamsters unionization attempt. However, in 2024, the Teamsters narrowly won certification and swiftly moved to assert pressure through aggressive bargaining tactics.

Negotiations for an initial labor agreement began in October, but after just three bargaining sessions, the Teamsters escalated matters with a pre-Thanksgiving strike—timed to cause maximum disruption during the holiday travel season. Their actions threatened airline operations by interfering with the transportation of flight crews at major airports, including JFK and Newark, as well as key hotels in Midtown Manhattan.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Bond attorneys worked tirelessly over the Thanksgiving holiday to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Queens County Commercial Division of the Supreme Court. The TRO, granted under the rarely used New York Labor Law Section 807, provided emergency relief based on concerns over disorderly conduct, breach of the peace and safety risks, and among other things, prohibited the strikers from physically blocking SkyHop’s vans that transport flight crews to and from the airports.

The Teamsters immediately sought to overturn the TRO, filing an emergency motion at the Appellate Division, but Bond successfully defended it, ensuring continued stability in SkyHop’s critical operations. The trial court has since held a week-long evidentiary hearing which sustained the TRO and granted even a broader preliminary injunction.

This case highlights Bond’s strategic experience in high-stakes labor disputes, particularly in the transportation and aviation industries, and particularly in the Commercial Division. By leveraging deep legal knowledge and swift action, we protected SkyHop’s business continuity while setting a precedent for combating disruptive labor tactics.

As the matter proceeds, Bond remains committed to securing a favorable resolution for SkyHop and reinforcing our reputation as a trusted legal partner in complex labor relations challenges.