Allegiant pilots picket at Las Vegas airport amid contract talks

Allegiant Air pilots, represented by Teamsters Local 2118, protest sub-industry standard wages at Harry Reid International Airport Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

Car honks and the occasional shout of support could be heard Tuesday morning from people driving past the Allegiant Air passenger drop-off at Harry Reid International Airport, where dozens of the airline’s pilots were picketing for a better contract.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air and its pilots have been in contract negotiations for a few years, with pilots demanding wages and work rules that meet industry standards, said Capt. Andrew Robles, president of the Allegiant Pilots Association, or Teamsters Local 2118.

“We’ve been trying to negotiate for over two years, just to try to get what every other airline has had for decades,” said Robles, who has worked at Allegiant for 13 years.

The company’s offerings in contract negotiations so far, including a 35% pay raise, fall below industry standards, Robles said. Better work rules are also on the table, he said, noting an increase in fatigue reports from Allegiant pilots who have worked long hours because the airline hasn’t complied with scheduling requests.

Allegiant has reduced its scheduled service because of an inability to recruit and retain pilots, he claimed, many of whom will be paid more at another airline.

Robles said every airline, even regional carriers, pay their pilots more than Allegiant, making him and his colleagues the lowest paid Airbus pilots in the industry. Their goal with picketing is to bring attention to their struggle, he said, and make the company see the need for industry-standard wages and work rules.

“It’s critically important for us,” Robles said. “We’re losing a pilot a day at this point.”

Allegiant officials said in a statement that the airline is committed to the contract negotiation process, and is offering increased retirement benefits, scheduling and quality of life enhancements and competitive wages that — contrary to the union’s allegations — would make its pilots among the highest paid in the industry.

“We look forward to completing this process to ensure our pilots receive an agreement they can be proud of,” the statement read.

About 30 uniformed pilots — with more on standby to take over when people needed a break from Tuesday’s bright sun and high temperatures — gathered for the four-hour picket, carrying signs that read “We are not ultra low-cost pilots” or “It’s time to invest in your pilots.”

One attending pilot, Kurt Hanson, said he and his colleagues are united in their requests and are calling for a contract “now.”

“It’s powerful being out here with your brothers and standing the line to show solidarity,” said Hanson, who has been with the airline for 11 years.

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