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Allegiant Pilots Local 2118 Prepare for Vote of No Confidence in Management
/by Joshua MartinLAS VEGAS, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The pilots of Allegiant Air (NASDAQ: ALGT), represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 2118, announced today that they are preparing to hold a formal Vote of No Confidence in Allegiant’s current management team and its Board of Directors. The decision comes after years of repeated failures, poor strategic decisions, and reckless spending by company leadership — actions that pilots say threaten the long-term health and stability of the airline, regardless of the outcome of ongoing contract negotiations.
“Contract or not, [Maury] Gallagher and [Greg] Anderson’s management team have proven that they don’t have what it takes to lead an airline,” said Captain Kevn Winter on behalf of Local 2118. “The last several years have been failure after embarrassing failure. If pilots had even 1% of this level of failure in the flight deck, our careers would be over. It is time for management to be held accountable.”
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien delivered a direct assessment of Allegiant’s leadership culture: “[Allegiant] management culture is toxic. It is fueled by arrogance and protected by yes men and women who could never do the pilots’ job.”
Most recently, Allegiant’s leadership has presided over a 50% collapse in the company’s market value in just six months, a $500 million loss on the failed Sunseeker Resort project, the shutdown of its GMS Racing NASCAR team, and millions wasted on unrelated ventures such as the “Allegiant Nonstop” entertainment centers. Pilots say these failures, combined with tone-deaf public relations and lavish executive perks, have eroded trust and jeopardized the airline’s future.
“We are doing this to protect the airline and the Allegiant brand that we built,” said Captain Tyler Heavey. “This management team seems ready to destroy what we’ve built because of ego and greed.”
One pilot pointed to the company’s recent base visits in private jets as the latest sign of misplaced priorities:
“Flying fancy private jets around the country to meet with pilots — just to tell them that you ‘can’t afford’ a new contract is a level of tone-deaf arrogance the industry hasn’t seen since Frank Lorenzo’s Eastern Airlines disaster in the 1990s.
“A no confidence vote is not something any Union takes lightly,” said Greg Unterseher, Trustee of Local 2118. “The pilots believe a change is necessary in the best interest of the airline, its employees, its customers, and its shareholders.” The Teamsters emphasize that the upcoming Vote of No Confidence is about more than contract talks — it is a call for new leadership and stronger corporate governance capable of ensuring the airline’s long-term stability, safety, and success.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
Contact:
Josh Martin, (725) 308-2755
jmartin@apa2118.org
ALLEGIANT PILOTS CONDEMN MASSIVE FINANCIAL LOSS, DEMAND OWED MONEY AND EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY
/by Joshua MartinNEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Information Contact: Josh Martin, APA 2118 702-308-2755
ALLEGIANT PILOTS CONDEMN MASSIVE FINANCIAL LOSS, DEMAND OWED MONEY AND EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY
“This wasn’t just a bad investment — it was a catastrophic miscalculation,” said Captain Rob Skiles. “And while pilots have been terminated for far less, not one executive has been held accountable. If we flew planes the way they run this company, we’d be grounded.”
A central concern is the retention bonus, estimated at over $200 million, which management committed to in order to retain pilots during a period of below-industry wages and stalled contract negotiations. Now, after four years without a deal, pilots say the security of that bonus is in serious doubt.
“We have every reason to fear our bonus will be the next fire-sale discount — if it’s ever paid at all,” said Captain Kevin Winter. “If leadership can accept 28 cents on the dollar for their own failures, we must demand full payment of what we’ve earned before it vanishes into C-suite compensation and other vanity projects.”
The Union also emphasized that pilot morale is at an all-time low, citing mounting pressure from front-line supervisors to overlook safety concerns and fly while fatigued — all while negotiations stagnate and operational demands intensify.
“We’ve been asked to do more with less while they gambled with this company’s future,” said Captain Skiles. “When those gambles failed, they turned around and blamed the Union. That’s not leadership — that’s deflection.”
Pilots also expressed frustration with the lack of corporate governance from Allegiant’s Board of so-called “Independent Directors” — including Chairman Maury Gallagher and Director Ponder Harrison, both of whom previously held leadership roles at ValuJet, the ill-fated Florida budget carrier whose history ended in tragedy. Most on the board appear to be long-time associates of Gallagher, raising serious concerns about whether true independence or accountability exists within the Board of Directors. Pilots are now calling for new leadership that prioritizes accountability, safety, and sustainable airline growth. “It’s time to take a hard look at who is leading this company,” said Winter. “We deserve a management team whose accountability matches the dedication and professionalism we bring to the flight deck every day.”