SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – Allegiant Air pilots are picketing outside of Savannah Hilton Head International Airport over contract disputes.
It’s not the only protest happening, though, as 1,400 pilots across 22 airport bases around the country are joining the handful here.
Allegiant Air Pilots here and across the country are asking for a better deal – for things like scheduling, pay, and certain protections.
There are a handful of pilots here, joining the 1,400 at airports in Pittsburgh, Nashville, Knoxville, and Las Vegas, to name a few.
More than 90% of union worker pilots voted in favor of a strike if the contract negotiations get to that point.
For now, they are having this informational picket to let drivers know what’s going on before getting into their planes or picking up people around the corner.
The pilots are represented by Teamsters Local 2118, who posted on their Facebook that the pilots aren’t backing down.
Spokesperson for this picket is Chris Black, a first officer with Allegiant, who said these pilots have been working under the same contract for almost 10 years.
The last five have been a back-and-forth to get something done.
“All we’re asking Allegiant to do is give us a fair, industry-standard contract. We just want Allegiant Airlines to invest in its pilots,” said Black.
This is not a strike.
There are no Allegiant flights out of Savannah on Tuesday, so there are no disruptions here.
Allegiant released the following statement to WTOC:
Allegiant is currently in negotiations with the Teamsters Local 2118, with the mediation assistance of the National Mediation Board (NMB), to finalize an agreement for our pilots. Allegiant has offered a competitive package – including an immediate 50% average increase in hourly wages that scales to 70% over 5 years. Additionally, we have offered a 50% increase in direct contribution to pilots’ retirement benefits, improvements in long-term disability benefits, and extensive scheduling and quality of life improvements designed to honor seniority and protect our business model.
To further demonstrate our commitment to our pilots, Allegiant has been accruing a retention bonus since June 2023 that represents an 82% pay increase for first-year first officers and a 35% pay increase for all other pilots. The accrued money will be paid out in a lump sum cash payment to individuals once a new contract is ratified. For senior captains, that retention bonus has already exceeded $200,000 and counting.
Tuesday, the members of IBT 2118 will exercise their right to conduct informational picketing. This is not a work stoppage, nor is one imminent. We are operating our full schedule and do not anticipate any disruptions related to the informational picketing. Our customers can continue to book and travel with confidence.
For a work stoppage, or strike, to occur under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which is the law that governs labor relations in the airline industry, all of the RLA’s bargaining procedures must be exhausted. Those include the following:
1. The NMB – not the parties themselves – determines if there is an impasse in negotiations between the airline and union.
2. The NMB offers interest arbitration to the parties to resolve their outstanding issues.
3. If either party (or both) turns down interest arbitration, the NMB releases them from mediation.
4. A 30-day cooling off period then ensues, which can be extended by action of the President.
It is important to note that none of these conditions have been met, and the Teamsters Local 2118 cannot legally call for a strike, a slow-down, or any other kind of “self-help” action until all of them have been met.
IBT Local 2118 has changed its negotiating team multiple times and was placed into an emergency trusteeship by the national union, which has impacted the negotiating process. Despite these unexpected changes, Allegiant remains steadfast in its commitment to working in good faith to secure a deal for our pilots.
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