Release #: FFT 24.03
September 30, 2024

Frontier Pilots to Open Strike Authorization Vote


Pilots Take a Stand for a Market-Based Contract

DENVER—Today, Frontier Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), announced that the voting window for a strike authorization ballot will open on Monday, September 30, and close on Tuesday, October 15. Frontier pilots' contract became amendable in January 2024 and have been engaged in mediated talks under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) since March 2024. Mediated negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement have failed to secure a market-based contract that would bring Frontier pilots in line with their pilot peers at other airlines.

“Frontier pilots have waited long enough for management to recognize our contribution to Frontier’s success," said Capt. Michael Maynard, chair of the Frontier ALPA Master Executive Council. “We will continue to work towards a fair resolution at the bargaining table. However, Frontier pilots are compelled to take this additional step because of management’s unwillingness to provide a contract that reflects our value.”

Approval of the strike authorization ballot does not guarantee a work stoppage. Under the RLA, the National Mediation Board must first determine that further mediation would not be productive, at which point both parties may be offered the option to arbitrate. Should either side decline, the parties would enter a 30-day “cooling off” period, after which a strike or management lockout could occur.

“While we have seen progress in a few sections of our contract, we are still far from a comprehensive agreement that our pilots will ratify,” said Maynard. “Our pilots have kept this airline profitable and efficient through challenging times. It is past time for Frontier’s management to acknowledge the work of all Frontier pilots and agree to a collective bargaining agreement the pilots have earned.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 78,000 pilots at 41 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us on Twitter @ALPAPilots.

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org