Allegiant Pilots To Picket Over Wages At Sarasota Bradenton Airport

SARASOTA, FL — Allegiant Air Teamsters pilots will hold a practice picket on Wednesday, 11 a.m., at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

Allegiant flies to more than 35 nonstop destinations out of the airport.

The pilots are picketing to demand better wages and working conditions, according to a news release from the union.

The picket follows a vote in which 97.4 percent of Allegiant Air Teamsters authorized a strike if the carrier fails to reach “a fair agreement” for about 1,300 pilots across the country, the news release said

“The Teamsters are seeking industry-standard compensation and improvements to scheduling and quality-of-life accommodations. The pilots are some of the most overworked and underpaid in the airline industry,” the union said. “In negotiations, the carrier has attempted to extract concessions in exchange for long-overdue pay raises despite having made more than $2.5 billion in revenue last year.”

The federal National Mediation Board is leading mediations between the union and Allegiant Air.

Under the Railway Labor Act, the Teamsters can request a release from the NMB, which could lead to a 30-day cooling-off period, followed by a work stoppage, the union said.