JetBlue Pilots launch Negotiations for new Collective Bargaining Agreement amidst changing aviation landscape

Friday, April 5, 2024

Pilots of JetBlue Airways, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), have formally notified JetBlue Airways of their intention to initiate negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), as outlined in Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act (RLA). This notification marks the beginning of the organized negotiation process mandated by the RLA for establishing a successor CBA.

“Making this airline a career destination for our 5,000 pilots, as well as the next generation of JetBlue pilots, should be fundamental to the airline’s business plan to move forward after the scuttled merger with Spirit Airlines and to grow and return to sustained profitability,” said Capt. Justin Houck, head of the JetBlue ALPA Master Executive Council. “That starts with a contract that properly values our pilots’ singular contribution to the current and future success of our airline.” 

In the previous month, JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines mutually decided to terminate their merger deal, which had commenced in 2022 and subsequently faced legal challenges from the Department of Justice. Amidst this period, JetBlue pilots successfully negotiated a contract extension, securing immediate economic enhancements to maintain parity with the evolving market standards for pilots during the potentially protracted merger proceedings. Nonetheless, in the intervening two years, the aviation industry has witnessed a significant elevation in the benchmark for pilot compensation, work regulations, lifestyle considerations, and perks.

“JetBlue pilots put our full contract on hold while the Company pursued the merger. We now expect the Company to come to the bargaining table prepared to negotiate terms on pay and working conditions in line with the standards and direction of the industry,” said Houck. “Today, there is no more important and necessary investment in the future success of our airline than in its professional, highly trained, and dedicated pilots.”

Established in 1931, ALPA stands as the premier airline pilot union globally, advocating for over 77,000 pilots across 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines, encompassing approximately 5,000 pilots from JetBlue Airways.

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