Fellow Pilots,

The parties met for mediation in Washington, D.C., from December 8th–10th. This update will be brief, because most of you likely anticipated the company’s behavior. Despite management’s talk of retaining an outside firm to “assist” with costing and “accelerate” the process, no such firm was present at the mediation session. As expected, management arrived unprepared to provide the details of any costing analysis they had performed to date. Simultaneously, management continues to insist they cannot move on basic economics until their costing work is complete. When pressed for a completion timeline, company representatives said only that they were “unsure,” but “hopefully by the end of the year.”

During mediation on Wednesday, a joint costing session was scheduled during which the Company was to provide a detailed costing analysis to the Union. During a break that afternoon, the company’s costing team sat with the Union costing team to discuss details for that upcoming session—and then simply left mediation early without attending the meeting. Management did not notify the Union at any point that they were planning to depart, that the meeting would not occur, or that they would be unable to provide the analysis they were instructed to provide at the mediation session. Embarrassingly, one NC member happened to catch them in the hallway as they attempted to quietly exit.

In response, management was instructed to provide the detailed costing analysis by close of business on Wednesday. Instead, the company stalled again—first claiming they could not send the material from the airport, then claiming the onboard Wi-Fi was not working. Near midnight, management finally sent a document that was incomplete and failed to include basic, required costing information. Their conduct wastes the Union’s time, disrespects the mediation process, and makes a mockery of both the National Mediation Board and Allegiant’s pilots. Our costing team will be reengaging with company personnel later today.

Outside of costing, the parties discussed the single outstanding issue in Section 12 (Vacancies), the four outstanding issues in Section 25 (General), and Section 1 (Scope). The parties completed Section 12 and the Union is awaiting confirmation that Section 12 has been TA’d. The parties settled two of the four outstanding items in Section 25. However, the company continues to insist that any Pilot who voluntarily downloads any company applications onto their personal electronic device, including the Allegiant Air App, is giving them permission to track them and utilize any information gained through those applications against the Pilot for any reason, including discipline. As far as Section 1 (Scope) is concerned, the company continues to show its true colors by refusing to agree to the simplest of items that you have the right to expect in a contract that is nearly a decade old (such as requiring two Pilots in the cockpit).

It is clear: Allegiant management is deliberately stalling, likely waiting for the outcome of the Union election. In the interim, they continue to go through the motions, occasionally making minor moves in order to show the illusion of progress. However, management should be aware that the results of this Union election have no impact on this pilot group’s expectations for a fair, industry-standard agreement. If anything, their continued bad-faith stalling only strengthens our unity and confirms what must come next. Our pilots must now rapidly increase public pressure, escalate our readiness for a legal work stoppage, and prepare for the full range of options available under the Railway Labor Act.

In Unity,

Captain Joshua Allen
Negotiating Committee Chairman

Captain Jay Killen
Pilot Negotiator

Captain Brad Keller
Pilot Negotiator

Captain J.R. Lynch
NC Chief of Staff

Captain Jim Cole
Recording Analyst