Pilots Gain Wage Increases, Benefit Improvements

Republic Airline pilots who are members of Teamsters Local 357 have ratified a contract extension of their 2015 collective bargaining agreement.

The extension includes immediate pay raises retroactive to January 1, 2018. Additional raises over the next 23 months provide for a total wage increase of 14 to 28 percent, dependent upon length of service. In addition to the wage increase, improvements were made to vacation accruals and company retirement contributions.

The agreement was reached well ahead of an October 2018 amendable date. The new amendable date is January 1, 2021.

"We're pleased to have negotiated an extension that values the service Teamster pilots at Republic provide. Reaching an agreement well ahead of the original amendable date is consistent with the goal of shortened but more frequent negotiating cycles," said Josh LeBlanc, President of Local 357. "The union leadership feels that incremental improvements have a more immediate effect, and also have the benefit that the aggregate increase will be larger than a single comprehensive agreement achieved over the same time period.

"This extension was ratified by 51 percent of those voting, with 85 percent participation. Those numbers suggest that this new approach will have to be proven successful to the membership through continuous improvements in the future."OK

(Source: Teamsters news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.teamsters.org