ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Allegiant Air pilots based at Asheville Regional Airport plan an informational picket event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, to draw attention to the major labor dispute that has been brewing for years.
In November, Allegiant pilots voted overwhelmingly to authorize union leaders to strike, with more than 97 percent of Allegiant pilots represented by Teamsters Local 2118 supporting the action. The move was designed to pressure Allegiant Air into negotiating with the union, which represents 1,300 pilots nationwide.
“After nearly four years of negotiations, Allegiant pilots are still waiting for the contract we were promised by management — a contract that we would be proud to support. Instead, management continues to stall during contract negotiations while offering proposals that fall far short of market standards,” Teamsters APA Local 2118’s Aaron Adrian said.
Some 30-50 pilots were expected to participate in the Asheville picket, Adrian said. Pilots want to share their message with passengers.
Adrian acknowledged Allegiant Air had offered pilots an immediate 50 percent raise followed by a 70 percent increase over the course of the collective bargaining agreement.
“However, what they neglect and fail to disclose is this substandard offer is still 24 percent below industry standard compensation over the course of a typical market five-year collective bargaining agreement,” Adrian said. “This should paint a picture how grossly undervalued our pilots are compared to the rest of the airline carriers.”
Adrian said pilots are operating under a contract from 2016 that became amendable in 2021.
“We want an industry-standard contract that values our work and matches the current market. Allegiant fails to offer this despite having one of the highest profit margins in the industry. Classic example of corporate greed,” Adrian said.
The picket is not expected to impact flights at Asheville Regional Airport, Adrian said.
Allegiant Air issued the following statement:
Allegiant is currently in negotiations with the Teamsters Local 2118, with the mediation assistance of the National Mediation Board (NMB), to finalize an agreement for our pilots. Allegiant has offered a competitive package – including an immediate 50% average increase in hourly wages that scales to 70% over 5 years. Additionally, we have offered a 50% increase in direct contribution to pilots’ retirement benefits, long-term disability benefits until FAA retirement age, paid maternity and paternity leave, and extensive scheduling and quality of life improvements designed to honor seniority and protect our business model.
These are among the proposals that Allegiant has on the table on the issues that remain open between the parties. Allegiant has continued to try to engage with the union to close these issues, or at least narrow the gap, by making multiple comprehensive economic proposals. The union, however, has not responded or made counter proposals on the major outstanding economic items in over two years. We remain hopeful that the union will choose to engage with us at the table over these key sections so we can meet our shared goal of reaching an agreement our pilots are proud to support.
To further demonstrate our commitment to this process – and to show our appreciation of our pilots – Allegiant has been accruing a retention bonus since June 2023 that represents an 82% pay increase for first-year first officers and a 35% pay increase for all other pilots. The accrued money will be paid out in a lump sum to individuals once a new contract is ratified. For senior captains, that retention bonus has already exceeded $100,000 and counting.
The members of IBT 2118 are exercising their right to conduct informational picketing. This is not a work stoppage, nor is one imminent. For a work stoppage, or strike, to occur under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which is the law that governs labor relations in the airline industry, all the RLA’s bargaining procedures must be exhausted. Those include the following:
The NMB – not the parties themselves – determines if there is an impasse in negotiations between the airline and union.
The NMB offers interest arbitration to the parties to resolve their outstanding issues.
If either party (or both) turns down interest arbitration, the NMB releases them from mediation.
A 30-day cooling off period then ensues, which can be extended by action of the President of the United States.
It is important to note that none of these conditions have been met, and the Teamsters Local 2118 cannot legally call for a strike, a slow-down, or any other kind of “self-help” action until all of them have been met.
During this past year alone, IBT Local 2118 changed its negotiating team four times and was placed into an emergency trusteeship by the national union, which has impacted the negotiating process. Despite these unexpected changes, Allegiant remains steadfast in its commitment to working in good faith to secure a deal for our pilots.