Horizon Air Pilots Picket in Seattle and Boise, Pointing to a Pay Gap With Alaska and Four Years of Talks

Pilots at Horizon Air, the regional carrier that feeds Alaska Airlines' western network, staged informational pickets on 14 October at Seattle-Tacoma and Boise airports, starting at 10:30 local time. Aero Crew News reports that the unit of nearly 650 pilots is represented by Teamsters Local 1224 and has been in contract negotiations for close to four years. The union wants the airline to drop what it calls delay tactics and agree a fair collective bargaining agreement. Open issues named are wages, staffing, training shortages and broader operational concerns. The central complaint is a pay gap with Alaska Airlines pilots: Horizon serves close to 50 destinations on Alaska's behalf, and the union argues its pilots do nearly the same work for below industry-standard pay. A Teamsters statement of 13 October accused the carrier of a pattern of mismanagement that has affected the negotiating process. The article carries no response from Horizon. It also notes that crews at regional carriers flying for mainline partners have historically struggled to close pay gaps with their mainline counterparts. The report lists the Teamsters and AeroTime as its sources.