Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

‘Incredibly upset’ Allegiant pilots picket for higher pay

Allegiant Air Pilots Picket Company In Summerlin

Steve Marcus

Allegiant Air pilots picket in front of the Allegiant Air headquarters in Summerlin Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. Pilots, represented by the Teamsters union, have been in contract negations with the company for two years, a union representative said.

Allegiant Air Pilots Picket Company In Summerlin

Allegiant Air pilots hold signs as they picket in front of the Allegiant Air headquarters in Summerlin Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. Pilots, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, have been in contract negations with the company for two years, a union representative said. Launch slideshow »

Dozens of pilots picketed outside of Allegiant Air's corporate headquarters and McCarran International Airport this afternoon as the Teamsters union and the company failed to meet today for scheduled negotiations.

Gregory Unterseher, a representative of the Teamsters Airline Division, said 86 pilots showed up outside the Summerlin corporate office at 1201 N. Town Center Drive, near Summerlin Parkway, and more than 60 people picketed at McCarran this afternoon.

The informational picketing comes after the two groups failed to meet today in Florida to negotiate over pilots' demands, which Unterseher said include investments into the company's operations systems, salary increases, additional training, assured schedules and more.

Unterseher said Allegiant refused to meet for negotiations after a federal mediator was unable to fly to Florida, while the airline said the mediator canceled scheduled negotiations.

Picketing events, which had already been planned for today, were held in Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Clearwater, Fla.

Allegiant, a Las Vegas-based airline, reported about $265 million in total operating revenue for the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30.

It was the 47th consecutive quarter in which the company saw a profit.

Allegiant said in a statement today that it is committed to resolving the negotiations.

"In the interim, we feel our time would be better spent attacking the issues at the negotiation table rather than each other," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Unterseher said negotiations have been ongoing for two years with no progress and that 98 percent of pilots polled have said they are willing to go on strike, if necessary.

"It's an incredibly upset and resolved pilot group," he said.

The company employs about 500 pilots, he said.

A strike is the "only leverage" the pilots have, but it would be a last resort that must be authorized by the National Mediation Board, Unterseher said.

"The more times they don't show up at the table," he said of Allegiant, "the more likely it's going to become."

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