MEC leaders have moved forward with setting up MEC communications systems and recruiting pilot volunteers to coordinate union operations. “For pilots to call Breeze a career airline, we’ll need the benefits that career airlines provide-job security, competitive pay and benefits, quality of life, and scheduling rules that work in tandem with our needs and our families’ needs.” “All Breeze pilots share the goal of securing a first collective bargaining agreement expeditiously-and certainly before this litigation is resolved-as we don’t believe the pilots or Breeze can afford to continue operating under the company’s Pilot Playbook much longer,” said Capt. As Air Line Pilot goes to press, the case is still pending. ALPA also moved to intervene and filed a motion asking the court to reject the lawsuit on the grounds that Breeze’s legal theory is contrary to decades-old and well-established law regarding the eligibility of trainees to participate in pilot representation elections. By October, the Justice Department, on behalf of the NMB, had filed a motion to have the court dismiss the company’s complaint.
Just days after the pilots voted in favor of ALPA representation and subsequently received certification from the National Mediation Board (NMB), the Cottonwood Heights, Utah-based airline filed a complaint in Utah’s federal district court seeking to have a judge declare the election void and order the election to be rerun as not all pilots were allowed to participate because they hadn’t completed training.
However, it’s not a contract and can be amended by the company unilaterally. The pilot group currently works under a “Pilot Playbook” that covers the work rules, pay, vacation, and training for pilots. Alex Kluge (Breeze)Īfter becoming ALPA’s newest pilot group in August 2022, Breeze Airways pilots moved quickly to establish their Master Executive Council leadership and committee structure to support the pilots and prepare for upcoming negotiations. "Pilots just need to have a little bit of patience, see the forest through the trees, and see Breeze for what it can be.Breeze A Breeze Airways EMB190 at Sawyer International Airport. "We've been operating for seven months and we simply can't be as competitive as pilots would like us to be right now," Owens said. The labor shortage also has a way of holding airlines accountable as pilots can seek opportunities elsewhere given that airlines across the country have been raising pay and lowering requirements to ensure a steady supply. "Anybody who has three years left would be great because they bring in maturity, discipline, and lots of experience," Owens said. Other solutions include establishing a pipeline program with a major US flight school and Breeze may also join the likes of United Airlines in starting an ab initio program for would-be pilots with no flight time.īreeze is also seeking airline pilots that retired during the pandemic but still have a few years left before reaching the Federal Aviation Administration's mandatory retirement age of 65. Pilots from Down Under will, however, incur travel and visa costs before being able to fly for Breeze. "It's an opportunity to give good, hardworking, well-qualified folks jobs who want to live in the US want to be a pilot for a US airline," Owens said.īreeze already has around 120 applicants for the program, with the majority of pilots living in Australia and some who are already in the US. Skilled Australian nationals can apply to legally work in the US and regional airlines including CommutAir and ExpressJet Airlines have used the program to recruit pilots from the country. Alternative solutions to the pilot shortageĪustralian pilots will be able to work as Breeze pilots under the E-3 work visa program in a little-used but not unprecedented solution to the pilot shortage. Airbus pilots will help induct Breeze's A220-300 fleet later this year and fly longer flights and multi-day trips comparable to traditional airline pilots. "Their three top priorities were: pay rates, pay rates, and pay rates."Įmbraer pilots fly what are known as "out and back" trips that will see them return to their home base every night. "The reason for that was the overwhelming feedback that we received back from the pilots," Owens. Breeze Airways is raising pilot pay as of January 2022.
0 kommentar(er)
