NEW YORK—Today, JetBlue ALPA pilots marked the tenth anniversary of their successful organizing campaign to join the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l—the world’s largest airline pilot union. JetBlue pilots were the first employee group at the airline to have union representation and achieved their first collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which provided significant increases in pay, improvements to retirement, and enhanced working conditions, in 2018. Since that time, nearly 30,000 pilots have joined ALPA, making it one of the most significant growth periods in the union’s history.
“Ten years ago, JetBlue pilots recognized that our best shot at leveling up our careers and securing our financial future was through banding together and bargaining collectively, with the legal backing of the Railway Labor Act,” said Capt. Justin Houck, chair of the JetBlue ALPA Master Executive Council. “Since then, that decision has proven itself time and time again—whether we’re protecting pilot jobs in the face of a global pandemic or negotiating a succession of pay increases and other improvements to working conditions. Every step of the way, our union pilots have stood together to protect and enhance the career of every JetBlue pilot. Now as we gear up for negotiations with the Company for our next contract, it is that same unity that’s going to secure an agreement the JetBlue pilots have earned.”
In April 2014, JetBlue pilots overwhelmingly chose ALPA to represent the more than 2,500 pilots. The organizing campaign that the pilots developed exposed the fundamental flaws in the Company’s purported “direct relationship” with its employees and demonstrated the compelling benefits of collective bargaining and legal representation. Since then, JetBlue Airways has grown substantially, and the number of pilots working for JetBlue has almost doubled. This growth reinforces not just the importance of the union, but also how union representation can be a partner in JetBlue’s success. This partnership will continue as the pilots commence negotiations for their next CBA next week.
“JetBlue pilots paved the way for other airline workers to find strength in numbers and fight for collective bargaining rights. In fact, since JetBlue joined, nearly 30,000 pilots have become ALPA members and, as a result, we find our union stronger than ever,” said Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA president. “Through the power of unionism, we have made great strides in raising the bar for pilot contracts across the industry and strengthening our profession overall. There is more work to do, but the JetBlue example is a powerful reminder that, when we stand in solidarity and take collective action, there is nothing we can’t achieve.”
Featured photo credit: Philip Pilosian via Shutterstock
