Frontier Airlines Pilots Vote To Authorize Strike With 99% Approval

An overwhelming majority of Frontier Airlines
pilots have voted in favor of pursuing collective action if necessary. While the vote does not mean a strike will be announced, it indicates the pilots’ willingness to apply additional pressure as their contract is being renegotiated.

What is happening?

The contract for Frontier Airlines pilots became amendable at the beginning of this year, and the Airline Pilots Association ( ALPA
), which represents over 2,000 pilots at Frontier, has been engaged in mediated talks with the carrier ever since. According to the ALPA, the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement “Have yet to yield a market-based contract that aligns with industry standards and reflects the contributions of Frontier pilots,” which led to the strike authorization ballot announced on Sept. 30th, 2024.

Voting is now complete, and it has been revealed that 99% of the Frontier pilots voted in favor of authorizing a strike if necessary, with 97% of pilots in the union participating in the vote. Michael Maynard, Chair of the Frontier ALPA Master Executive Council, said in a statement that the purpose of the vote is not to disrupt flights but rather to apply pressure on the airline:

“The results of this vote are clear and compelling. Nearly all our pilots are prepared to take action if it comes to that. This strong show of unity underscores our commitment to achieving a fair contract that meets the needs of our pilots.”

“Our ultimate goal remains to reach a fair agreement with the company, not to strike. However, this vote equips our master executive council with a significant lever should we need to exercise it.”

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The vote does not mean a strike is forthcoming but does signal that the pilots in question have authorized union leadership to call a strike when it is lawful to do so.

Will the strike affect flights?

A strike authorization is a vital negotiation tool but is only the first step in any action that could potentially ground flights. The union and airline are accountable to the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which governs labor relations in the airline industry. According to the RLA, the union cannot call for a strike until each of the following criteria is met.

The National Mediation Board has determined there is an impasse in negotiations.
Both parties have been released from mediation by the NMB.
There is a subsequent 30-day cooling-off period.
The bargaining procedures under the RLA have been exhausted.

As of press time, none of these have occurred, so ALPA is not currently in a position to implement a strike at this time. When reached for comment by Simple Flying, Frontier Airlines spokesperson Rob Morris reiterated the airline’s commitment to reaching a mutually agreeable arrangement:

“As we noted when the vote began, a strike authorization vote does not mean there will be a strike or that a strike is imminent. Instead, a strike vote is simply an internal process whereby the union requests its membership to authorize union leadership to call a strike when it is lawful to do so.

“Frontier remains committed to negotiating in good faith to achieve an agreement that supports our pilots and ensures the continued success of our company.”