Allegiant pilots picketed outside airports on Tuesday as they called for higher pay and improvements in scheduling.
Teamsters Local 2118 said more than 1,400 pilots at 22 airport bases across the U.S. came together to demand a “fair contract” after several years of negotiations.
According to local media reports, pilot protests took place in Indianapolis; Des Moines, Iowa; Appleton, Wisconsin; Cincinnati, Ohio; Fort Lauderdale and Punta Gorda, Florida; Flint, Michigan; Nashville, Tennessee; and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, among other locations.
Allegiant and the Teamsters are currently in talks mediated by the National Mediation Board.
In a statement, the union local criticized the airline for asking for concessions “while investing in everything except their dedicated pilots.”
“By failing to offer a fair contract, Allegiant is losing talented and experienced pilots to competitor airlines and jeopardizing local routes,” the local said. “Teamsters pilots are simply asking to be respected and fairly compensated for the work they do every day and are picketing to remind the company that without pilots, their planes don’t fly.”
Allegiant Responds
Allegiant said Tuesday that it has put forward a “competitive package” that includes an immediate 50% average increase in hourly wages that scales to 70% over five years. It also offered a 50% increase in direct contributions to pilots’ retirement benefits, “extensive scheduling and quality of life improvements,” and a retention bonus, among other benefits.
The carrier emphasized that Tuesday’s pickets were not a work stoppage, and said none of the conditions for a strike under the Railway Labor Act had been met.
“We are operating our full schedule and do not anticipate any disruptions related to the informational picketing,” the airline said. “Our customers can continue to book and travel with confidence.”
Allegiant also offered an explanation for the apparent delay in negotiations.
“IBT Local 2118 has changed its negotiating team multiple times and was placed into an emergency trusteeship by the national union, which has impacted the negotiating process,” the carrier said. “Despite these unexpected changes, Allegiant remains steadfast in its commitment to working in good faith to secure a deal for our pilots.”
According to Reuters, the pilots are working under a contract that was ratified in 2016 and became amendable in 2021.
