SANFORD, Fla. – Allegiant Air pilots on Tuesday launched a nationwide picket as contract negotiations reach an impasse.
Picket lines formed at 22 airport bases, including at Orlando Sanford International Airport.
The Teamsters union, representing 1,400 Allegiant pilots, accuses the airline of seeking concessions while investing in “everything but its pilots.”
“We’ve been in contract negotiations with the company for too long. It’s been about five years or longer and we’re just trying to get in line with compensation, benefits and work rules that match our peers in the other airlines,” said Oliver Shields, Allegiant pilot.
Shields said other airline pilots make 50% more than Allegiant pilots.
“We haven’t had a pay raise in 10 years. We feel like it’s about time and we deserve it. We’re really frustrated by that,” Shields said.
Allegiant Airlines issued a statement Tuesday that it is currently in negotiations with the Teamsters Local 2118 to finalize an agreement for its pilots.
“Allegiant has offered a competitive package – including an immediate 50% average increase in hourly wages that scales to 70% over 5 years. Additionally, we have offered a 50% increase in direct contribution to pilots’ retirement benefits, improvements in long-term disability benefits, and extensive scheduling and quality of life improvements designed to honor seniority and protect our business model," the statement reads.
Allegiant also said it has been accruing a retention bonus since June 2023 that “represents an 82% pay increase for first-year first officers and a 35% pay increase for all other pilots.”
“The accrued money will be paid out in a lump sum cash payment to individuals once a new contract is ratified. For senior captains, that retention bonus has already exceeded $200,000 and counting,” the airline said.
Allegiant pilots said the picket line should not affect any routes — for now.
“If this continues, our routes are going to be struggling because we’re losing great people, our pilots in particular, to other airlines that are being able to pay and get better benefits to those working groups,” said Shields, adding that pilots are hopeful Allegiant will soon return to the bargaining table.