Pilots at Frontier Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike if necessary. The vote, which concluded on Tuesday, saw a 97% participation rate of the carrier’s 2,200 pilots, with 99% casting ballots in favor of strike authorization.þþThe pilots’ collective bargaining agreement became amendable in January 2024, and the union and airline have been engaged in mediation since then. However, negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement have not yet resulted in a contract that aligns with industry standards, the union said.þþ“Our ultimate goal remains to reach a fair agreement with the company, not to strike,” said Capt. Michael Maynard, chair of the Frontier ALPA Master Executive Council, in a news release. “However, this vote equips our master executive council with a significant lever should we need to exercise it.”þþEven with the vote, a work stoppage is not immediate. The National Mediation Board will ultimately determine whether further federal mediation is necessary.þþ“The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) recently announced the results of a strike authorization vote at Frontier Airlines. As we noted when the vote began, a strike authorization vote does not mean there will be a strike or that a strike is imminent. Instead, a strike vote is simply an internal process whereby the union requests its membership to authorize union leadership to call a strike when it is lawful to do so,” a spokesperson from the airline said in an emailed statement.þþ“Under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which governs labor relations in the airline industry, it is unlawful for the union to call for a strike or any other form of “self-help,” such as a slow-down, until 1) the National Mediation Board (NMB) has determined there is an impasse in negotiations, 2) the parties have been released from mediation by the NMB, 3) there is a subsequent 30-day cooling off period, and 4) the bargaining procedures under the RLA have been exhausted. None of these have occurred and ALPA cannot legally implement a strike at this time. Frontier remains committed to negotiating in good faith to achieve an agreement that supports our pilots and ensures the continued success of our company,” the statement continued.þþIn September, the ultra-low-cost carrier’s flight attendants also overwhelmingly voted to strike. Like its pilots, the airline’s over 4,000 flight attendants are in mediated talks as well.
Source: airlinegeeks.com
