Pilots at low-cost carrier Breeze Airways are asking the federal government to step in amid apparently stalled negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
ALPA, which represents the pilots, said this week that it has filed a request with the National Mediation Board asking the agency to appoint a federal mediator to assist in the bargaining process.
“Serving notice to the NMB is a necessary next step for our pilot group,” Alex Kluge, chair of the Breeze ALPA Master Executive Council, said in a news release. “After nearly four years in negotiations, Breeze management has shown that it is either unwilling or unable to bargain in good faith on its own. Federal mediation gives our pilots a structured, enforceable path toward the industry-standard contract they have earned.”
In a statement, Breeze acknowledged that ALPA is seeking outside mediation but disputed the union’s characterization of their talks, saying progress has been made.
“We respect the union’s decision to request mediation; however, we do not agree with ALPA’s claims that Breeze has been unwilling or unable to bargain in good faith,” the airline said.
“ALPA and Breeze have made meaningful progress at the bargaining table and have successfully reached tentative agreements on many sections of the contract, including exchanging passes on additional outstanding sections the same week that ALPA indicated they would be seeking the intervention of a mediator,” the statement continued. “Breeze remains committed to building on this progress and bargaining in good faith to reach a fair agreement that recognizes the important contributions of our pilots while supporting the long-term success and sustainability of Breeze.”
Breeze’s pilots voted to join ALPA in 2022. Negotiations for their first collective bargaining agreement have been underway since early 2023.
ALPA said that, in the years since, only a “small fraction” of contract sections have reached tentative agreements. Only two sections have been tentatively agreed upon since January 2025, the union said.
ALPA sued Breeze earlier this year over alleged violations of the Railway Labor Act, which governs labor relations in the airline sector. The union accused Breeze of bargaining in bad faith and working to undermine ALPA’s position as the legitimate representative of its pilots.
The carrier’s ultimate aim, ALPA said, is to get their pilots to decertify.
Breeze told AirlineGeeks at the time that ALPA’s claims do not reflect the reality of the negotiations.
