Pilots at Frontier Airlines, based in Denver, have overwhelmingly voted in favor of strike action as they seek to negotiate better contracts.
On October 15, 2024, pilots from Frontier Airlines, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), finished their vote on whether to authorize a strike.
The voting started on September 30, 2024, and ended on October 15, 2024. The results revealed that 99% of Frontier pilots supported the idea of going on strike if necessary, signaling their readiness to act should negotiations with Frontier management break down, according to a press release from ALPA issued on October 15, 2024.
“The results of this vote are clear and compelling. Nearly all our pilots are prepared to take action if it comes to that,” said Captain Michael Maynard, Chair of the Frontier ALPA Master Executive Council. “This strong show of unity underscores our commitment to achieving a fair contract that meets the needs of our pilots.”
The pilots’ contract became open for negotiation in January 2024 and have been engaged in mediated discussion under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) since then. However, pilots and Frontier Airlines have not yet reached a new collective bargaining agreement that reflects a market-based contract “that aligns with industry standards and reflects the contributions of Frontier pilots”, the press release continued.
“Our ultimate goal remains to reach a fair agreement with the company, not to strike,” Maynard continued. “However, this vote equips our master executive council with a significant lever should we need to exercise it.”
Under the RLA, the National Mediation Board will need to decide if more mediation would help. If so, both parties can choose to go to arbitration. If one side refuses, there will be a 30-day “cooling-off” period, after which a strike or management lockout might happen.
The strike authorization is not a guarantee of a work stoppage, but rather “a vital tool in negotiations”, ALPA said.
According to the Frontier Master Executive Council’s (MEC) official website, it represents more than 2,000 Frontier pilots flying a fleet of Airbus A320 series aircraft.