Since April 5, CUPE members Christina Carello and Alexander Rozov, flight attendants at Pivot Airlines, along with two pilots and a flight mechanic – members of ALPA and Unifor, respectively – have been held in the Dominican Republic, after discovering and reporting suspected contraband on their plane.
In doing so, the crew prevented a possible onboard fire, and a probable air disaster resulting from the added weight and unsafe location of the contraband on the plane.
Despite that, and despite immediately following all local and international laws and regulations, Dominican authorities want the crew to be held in prison for up to 12 months as an investigation runs its course. They have faced daily threats, including explicit threats on their lives for their actions, and CUPE is gravely concerned for their safety, mental health, and physical well-being.
Christina and Alexander and their ALPA and Unifor colleagues need the support of CUPE members to put pressure on the Canadian and Dominican governments. Write Canada’s foreign affairs minister and your local MP today to demand they do everything they can to bring Christina and Alexander and the whole crew home.
