Travel company Allegiant Air provided the Indianapolis Recorder with a statement in response to the story concerning a pilots strike. The statement is as follows:
Allegiant is currently in mediation with the Teamsters Local 2118 to finalize an agreement. We are committed to the negotiating process through the National Mediation Board and hope our pilots’ union is committed as well. Thursday, Teamsters Local 2118 announced the results of a symbolic vote authorizing a strike.
It’s important to understand what that means. A strike authorization vote does not mean a strike is imminent, or that one will occur at all. Instead, a strike vote is an internal process whereby the union asks its membership for their authorization for their union leadership to call a strike if and when it is lawful to do so.
The Railway Labor Act (RLA) is the law which governs labor relations in the airline industry. It clearly states that it is unlawful for a union to call for a strike, a slow-down, or any other kind of “self-help” action until four conditions have been met. They are as follows:
1) The National Mediation Board (NMB) must determine there is an impasse in negotiations between the airline and union.
2) Then the NMB must release both parties from mediation, after which
3) A 30-day cooling off period is completed, and finally,
4) All bargaining procedures under the Railway Labor Act must be exhausted.
It is important to note here that none of these conditions have been met, and the Teamsters Local 2118 cannot legally implement a strike at this time.
Allegiant remains committed to negotiating in good faith to achieve an agreement that supports our pilots and ensures the continued success of our company. Allegiant has offered our pilots competitive wages — starting with an immediate average increase in hourly wages of 50% with an average 70% increase over 5 years. Additionally, we have offered a significant increase in retirement benefits, long term disability, and extensive scheduling and quality of life improvements.
To demonstrate our commitment to our pilots, Allegiant has been voluntarily accruing a retention bonus since June 2023 that equals to 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.
We look forward to completing this process to ensure our pilots receive an agreement they can be proud of.
Contact multi-media & senior sports reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follo3 him on X@3Noral. For more news from the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
