Update from Your Executive Board – January 9, 2026

Fellow Pilots,

We would like to begin by thanking you for the professionalism you demonstrated throughout another demanding holiday season. Your expertise and dedication safely carried thousands of passengers during one of the busiest and most challenging periods of the year. Well done.

Over the past two weeks, your Local 2118 Executive Board has been working diligently to transition into office. We have begun the required training, which will continue throughout the month of January, focused on the roles, responsibilities, policies, and procedures of an IBT Executive Board. During the week of January 19, members from the General Secretary’s Office will travel to Las Vegas to conduct a portion of this training, and we look forward to welcoming them.

As part of our responsibilities, the Executive Board conducted a comprehensive internal review of the Negotiating Committee, including the performance of the Pilot Negotiators, support staff, and legal counsel. This review was conducted to ensure that all efforts remain fully focused on achieving a collective bargaining agreement that Allegiant pilots deserve. As a result, we would like to announce the current Local 2118 Negotiating Committee:

Captain Jay Killen BNA, Chairman
Captain John McDonald CVG, Pilot Negotiator
Captain Scott Whitman LAS, Pilot Negotiator
Captain Byron Girmscheid AVL, Pilot Negotiator
Captain Jim Cole PVU, Pilot Negotiator

We sincerely appreciate these individuals for their willingness to serve their fellow pilots. The Executive Board has authorized this team to utilize the resources necessary to pursue their objective: a contract that appropriately recognizes and rewards the contributions of this pilot group. Earlier this week, preparations began for upcoming mediation sessions scheduled for January 15 and 16. Additional mediation dates have been scheduled for February and March, and Local 2118 remains in active coordination with the company and the National Mediation Board to secure an increase in the number of negotiating sessions during this period.

In the weeks ahead, the Executive Board will conduct comprehensive reviews of each committee within Local 2118. These reviews are intended to hear directly from committee volunteers regarding their priorities, what has been effective, what has not, and what resources or support are needed to better represent our pilots. This process will also establish clear expectations for each committee moving forward. As progress is made, we will provide updates on any relevant changes.

We recognize that clear, timely, and consistent communication is essential to effective representation. To that end, we are implementing changes to the structure, cadence, and content of Local 2118 communications. Two of these changes will begin in the coming weeks:

Executive Board Update: A bi-weekly communication from the Local 2118 Executive Board highlighting ongoing work and important information for our membership.

Negotiations Update: A bi-weekly communication summarizing recent negotiating committee activity, progress made, and an outline of upcoming efforts. In addition, a separate communication will be issued following the conclusion of each bargaining session.

These updates reflect our commitment to providing clear, timely, and consistent communication regarding the work being performed on your behalf. There should be no uncertainty regarding the efforts undertaken to represent Allegiant pilots.

We remain committed to building Local 2118 into one of the strongest and most effective locals within the IBT Airline Division.

As always, fly safely.

Local 2118 Executive Board