CHICAGO (Reuters) – Pilots at Alaska Air Group Inc have voted to authorize a strike if agreement on a new employment contract cannot be reached, their union said on Wednesday.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents over 3,000 pilots at the Seattle-based carrier, said 99% of those who cast their ballots backed strike-authorization.
Despite the vote, Alaska pilots cannot walk off the job until the National Mediation Board grants them permission. The board will first have to determine that both the parties are at an impasse and further bargaining would not be productive.
Alaska Air and its pilots have been negotiating a new contract since the summer of 2019. ALPA has said the company has not “meaningfully” addressed its concerns related to job security and schedule flexibility.
The company’s pilots have been picketing, asking for a market-based contract that includes higher wages and better benefits.
(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
