Release #09.ALA4
April 15, 2009

Alaska Airlines Pilots to Vote on a New Contract

SEATTLE—The pilots of Alaska Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, are preparing to vote on a new four-year contract, following their union leadership’s approval of a Tentative Agreement. The leadership’s approval follows an Agreement in Concept announced in March.

If approved by Alaska Airlines’ pilots, the Tentative Agreement would become the pilots’ new contract. Voting is anticipated to be complete by the third week in May.

“The agreement we’ve reached meets our goals of improving or protecting our work rules—which includes pay—our job security, our retirement security and our health benefits while allowing our company to continue to succeed,” said Alaska MEC Chairman Capt. Bill Shivers.

Alaska’s pilots have been in negotiations for a new contract for more than two years. Since May 2005, the pilots have been working under an arbitrator-imposed contract that cut pay by as much as 35 percent.

Airline contracts, which are governed by the Railway Labor Act, become amendable but do not expire. As a result, if the pilots vote against the Tentative Agreement, negotiations with management would continue until either another agreement is reached or until the National Mediation Board releases the parties into self-help.

ALPA represents 52,250 pilots at 35 airlines in the U.S. and Canada, among them the 1,455 pilots of Alaska Airlines, including the 60 pilots currently on furlough. Visit the Alaska MEC Web site at www.alapilots.com.

# # #

ALPA Contacts: Jenn Farrell or David Campbell, 206-241-3138
After Hours: Jenn Farrell, 303-522-6399