Agreement Reached After A Decade Of Direct Negotiations And Federal Mediation

Air Wisconsin pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), have approved a new three-year contract that will provide $6 million in pay raises and other improvements.

After two weeks of voting, Air Wisconsin pilots ratified a tentative agreement reached on September 12, 2019, by a margin of 73 percent to 27 percent, with 87 percent of the airline’s 414 eligible voters casting ballots. The agreement came after a decade of direct negotiations and federal mediation supervised by the National Mediation Board. The new contract will become amendable on November 21, 2022.

The new agreement converts one-time bonus payments previously offered by management into permanent pay rate increases and preserves Air Wisconsin’s unique 1.5 percent annual pay increase with no expiration date. It also preserves the airline’s industry-leading health-care premiums and plan design as well as protecting hours of service duty limits, in addition to other contract improvements.

The successful vote ends one of the longest-running contract negotiations at ALPA. Air Wisconsin pilots have been in negotiations since 2010 and had previously rejected tentative agreements reached in 2015 and 2018. The current contract itself was last ratified in 2001.

“After 10 years of turmoil and uncertainty at our airline, we are gratified to finally bring this negotiation to a close with a contract that provides real, permanent improvements for our pilot group,” said Capt. Ken Nesbitt, chairman of ALPA’s Air Wisconsin Master Executive Council.

“The Air Wisconsin pilots fought hard for ten years and never backed down on their principles in demanding a fair contract that reflects their contribution to the company,” said Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA president.

(Source: ALPA news release)

FMI: www.alpa.org