Allegiant, dispatchers come to terms on collective bargaining agreement

Two years after negotiations began, Allegiant Airlines and its dispatchers have come to terms on a collective bargaining agreement.

The first approved contract between Allegiant and the 34 dispatchers represented by the International Brotherhood Teamsters will take effect May 1 and carries a five-year term, Allegiant announced Thursday. Other terms of the contract were not released.

“We applaud the efforts of all who came to the negotiating table to craft this agreement,” Maurice J. Gallagher Jr., Allegiant’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “This is an excellent example of all parties collaborating effectively and with great dedication, resulting in a contract that supports our team members, keeps us competitive across the industry and enables company goals.”

Michael Wuerger, vice president of Allegiant’s operations control center, said in the statement: “Our team of dispatchers is at the core of Allegiant’s operation. They keep our flights, crews and passengers moving safely and efficiently in real time. We appreciate the dedication they bring to work each day, and with today’s agreement, look towards a bright future together.”

The process of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement for Allegiant dispatchers began in 2017. A tentative agreement was reached between the parties in May 2018 but was never ratified. The parties resumed negotiations in January 2019.

Capt. David Bourne, director of the Teamsters airline division, expressed relief when a tentative agreement was struck last month.

“I’m proud of our dispatchers,” Bourne said in a statement at that time. “I’m glad we’ve been able to work productively with the company to get these negotiations to this point.”

The IBT also represents Allegiant’s pilots, who are conducting their own negotiations with the airline regarding scheduling.

Upset with Allegiant’s updating of its scheduling system, Teamsters Local 1224, which represents Allegiant pilots, commissioned eight billboards across the Las Vegas Valley reading: “Allegiant Air, Stop the Unfair Labor Practices. Stop Testing Our Patience.”

The billboards have been on display since Dec. 1.

The billboards stem from an ongoing issue regarding how Allegiant schedules its pilots — through a system not based on seniority. That has led to senior pilots not receiving days off they requested, as the Allegiant system, unlike most air carriers, requires that all pilots be at a particular base airport, regardless of seniority, the union said.

Allegiant officials said there was no update on the pilot talks. The Teamsters did not respond to requests for comment regarding those negotiations.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.