Local 618 Members Approve Five-Year Contract

Teamster pilots voted Saturday to approve a new, five-year contract at GoJet Airlines by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. There are over 520 members in the bargaining unit covered by the agreement.

The pilots will see significant quality of life improvements in this contract, including the implementation of a commuting policy where all lodging expenses will be paid for by the company. Pilots will also see a major increase in scope of the work rules and grievances protections.

“This is an outstanding contract that will take these GoJet pilots to the top of the regional industry in pay and benefits for the CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft,” said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “Over 90 percent of the pilots voted in this election and those that voted approved the contract almost 2-to-1. That high level of participation speaks volumes about the quality and scope of this agreement.”

“There are really good improvements for the pilots in this agreement,” said Tom Cole, Vice President of Local 618 in St. Louis, Mo. “Our members are going to see immediate gains in premium pay, holiday pay, international pay and per diem rates. Increases in healthcare benefits, retirement packages, vacation and sick leave are also in the contract. I want to thank all of the pilots on the negotiating committee for doing such an outstanding job and everyone in the bargaining unit for being active participants in this process.”

The contract is retroactive to March 1, 2016, and will take effect immediately upon ratification.

(Source: Teamsters news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.teamster.org