SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines pilot leaders, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association Int'l (ALPA), voted to approve a tentative agreement with the airline's management on Friday.
This agreement comes after three years of negotiations.
The pilots were fighting for improvement in scheduling flexibility, job security, compensation and improved quality of life, according to ALPA.
Capt. Will McQuillen, chair of the Alaska Airlines ALPA Master Executive Council said in a press release that the agreement will help the airline to remain competitive in the industry.
“I salute the pilots of Alaska Airlines for their solidarity, patience and determination as we have moved through this process,” McQuillen said. “Over the past three years, they and their families have remained steadfast in their support for their union. Their unity has been the driving force that helped deliver this contract. We thank our pilots for their professionalism throughout this negotiation process and for providing the safety and service that Alaska pilots are known for."
The pilots conducted the largest picket in ALPA history on April 1, 2022. More than 1,500 off-duty pilots, almost half of the pilots employed by Alaska Airlines were a part of the picket.
Pilots overwhelmingly voted to approve a strike in May if contract negotiations continued to fail. Of the members who voted, 99% of pilots approved a strike authorization.
Alaska Airlines had to cancel dozens of U.S. West Coast flights — about 9% of the airline's operations — as off-duty pilots picketed in several major cities over an impasse in nearly three years of contract negotiations. Canceled flights included 66 in Seattle; 20 in Portland, Oregon; 10 in Los Angeles; and seven in San Francisco, according to the flight tracking website flightaware.com.
Membership voting on the agreement is expected to begin in the coming weeks, according to the ALPA.