October 17, 2022

Alaska Airlines Pilots Overwhelmingly Ratify Collective Bargaining Agreement

SEATTLE—Today, the pilots at Alaska Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), overwhelmingly approved a tentative agreement with the Company on a three-year deal that contains improvements to job security, pay, scheduling flexibility, and other quality-of-life provisions. With 96 percent of eligible Alaska pilots casting ballots, 82 percent voted in favor of the new agreement.

“For years, we’ve been polling our pilots to ensure this agreement would meet their needs, and today’s vote makes it clear that the major deficiencies in our contract have been addressed,” said Capt. Will McQuillen, chairman of the Alaska Airlines Master Executive Council. “During this negotiations cycle, we made significant improvements to problematic areas of the contract, which will now allow our pilots to have a better work-life balance, among other important provisions.”

The agreement provides top-of-industry wages with provisions that ensure pilot pay will remain in line with future increases at other carriers. Before this agreement, the Alaska Airlines pilots had been working for over a decade under conditions and wages that trailed many of their peers.

“Our goal was to negotiate an agreement where our pilots could make Alaska Airlines a lifelong career and not just a stepping stone to another airline,” said McQuillen. “This contract is good for our pilots and their families and also good for our airline.” 

During the past three years of negotiations, Alaska pilots have shown their solidarity and resolve by taking part in pickets, leafleting, and other labor-related events to make their voices heard. The pilots have shown the value and efficacy of unionism and have built solidarity around a shared set of contractual priorities. They organized to display how seriously they expected management to problem-solve with elected union leadership and, as a result, have succeeded in improving quality of life and living standards in the form of a new contract. 

“We thank our pilots for their professionalism throughout this negotiating process and for providing the safety and service that Alaska pilots are known for,” added McQuillen.

 

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 65,000 pilots at 40 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