Negotiating Update (6/17/2024)

Allegiant Air Pilots:

Over the weekend you received a Pilot Negotiations Update from the Company, which summarized portions of their latest contract proposals. Unfortunately, the Company’s communications contained misrepresentations and falsehoods that we need to correct, and it’s exactly the type of communication we said you should expect. We aren’t going to let that distract us from the mission of nor will it impact our willingness to work collaboratively with the Company to get a contract that works for pilots and Allegiant.

July Meetings & August Mediation Dates

First, the Company negotiating team was present in the room on June 12 when the Mediator told the Union – and the Company – that the National Mediation Board (NMB) would schedule August mediation dates. For management to suggest otherwise was not only false, it was a transparent attempt to convince you to pressure your Union Negotiating Committee to rush into accepting subpar proposals, which do not meet your reasonable expectations.

On that topic, tonight we received confirmation from the NMB that additional mediation will take place either the week of August 5th or August 12th. The NMB will issue its official meeting notice with the dates tomorrow.

In addition, June 24-26 mediation will focus on scheduling, to include reserves and hours of service.

Second, since we did not anticipate mediation dates in July, the Union Negotiating Committee did say in our June 14 Negotiations Update that “the Union Negotiating Committee will work in caucus and meet with Company negotiators as we continue to move forward towards a CBA …” We certainly assumed the Company would meet with us in July. The Company has acknowledged that there is more work to be done on Section 15 (Scheduling) to reach a ratifiable CBA. But we aren’t starting from scratch or starting over on PBS. There are several key scheduling items that require the careful attention of both sides – for example, unstacking/days off rules. Under the circumstances, why wouldn’t they meet with the Union?

We hope the Company will reconsider its decision not to meet with us in July – they owe it to every pilot on the property. And they can’t use our last Negotiations Update announcement as an excuse not to meet any more than we can use what they pulled in ECTC last week as a reason not to meet.

Union’s Focus Currently on Scheduling Issues

Third, the Company’s claim that the Union Negotiating Committee was unprepared for mediation is false. After the Company’s May “supposal,” we told Company negotiators we would focus our attention first on resolving key scheduling provisions, then turn to the remaining open sections of the CBA. We said that additional analysis, data review and joint discussion was necessary to make progress on this important QOL portion of your CBA. That is what we have done, in mediation and between mediation sessions with management, and it has produced results: at the end of the Thursday mediation session, the Company acknowledged that its current Section 15 (Scheduling) proposal – which would permit, for example, up to 100% unstacking – “is unratifiable.”

Now that management has acknowledged that fact, we should work together to finalize scheduling rules that respond to pilot QOL expectations and the Company’s legitimate operational requirements, and that is exactly what we intend to do. A PBS system, that doesn’t generate endless grievances or contain loopholes and backdoors that management can use to undermine schedule integrity and reduce pilot QOL, requires management to provide us with required data and PBS software without delay.

The Company’s June 15 message states, “… as is common at this stage in negotiations, resolving the remaining interconnected issues through comprehensive proposals is the only effective means to reach the finish line.” To be clear, it’s not common or smart bargaining to trade unstacking percentages, for example, for compensation, or to give up premium pay to maintain current QOL. The Company’ statement is code for “agree to QOL concessions to pay for your compensation increases and/or give up QOL improvements in exchange for money.” That’s a false choice in 2024. You have a right to expect both, and we aren’t giving up one for the other.

Moving Forward …

We see no reason to go tit-for-tat with the Company on the deficiencies in their comprehensive proposal or to list all that they failed to tell you (for example, that they proposed to eliminate 130% premium pay, 100% unstacking with potentially devastating impacts on your days off and schedule integrity, and an LTD/LOL benefit far below industry standard, etc.). Our time is better spent negotiating real improvements to QOL, then job security/scope and industry standard compensation provisions.

Based on the reaction and support we have received from the membership since management sent their message on Saturday, we know that you support that approach 100%. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on improvements to the CBA knowing that the membership is united and has the back of their Negotiating Committee.

In Unity,

Captain Joshua Allen
Negotiating Committee Chairman

Captain Jay Killen
Pilot Negotiator

Captain J.R. Lynch
Chief of Staff

Captain Jim Cole
Recording Analyst