Our members were extremely pleased when the National Mediation Board (NMB) announced this week that the pilots at Virgin America had voted overwhelmingly in favor of ALPA representation. Of the 95.7 percent of eligible pilots who voted, 75.3 percent voted in favor of joining, showing their clear commitment to collective representation.
As Forbes reported in a June 5 story titled “Mighty ALPA Reaches Deal with Delta and Signs Up Virgin America on the Same Day,” I stated to journalists after the NMB’s vote announcement that “Each pilot group we add to our collective voice has a direct effect on our ability to carry our message forward. We speak for an increasing number of pilots every time this happens, whether advocating here in Washington or on Parliament Hill in Canada.”
As a result of the Virgin America pilots’ landslide vote, their pilots and ALPA are stronger. We are ready to help Virgin America pilots gain a greater voice in their future by negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. Together with our newest members, ALPA will also have a stronger voice in advancing our profession and our industry. The result yields bold benefits for the airline passengers and air cargo shippers who will turn to air transportation this summer to drop in on family and friends or deliver their products and services.
Whether by successfully reaching a new contract, shaping a new safety regulation, or securing the support of lawmakers to advance a fair marketplace, ALPA has championed our pilots’ collective vision for our profession and the safety, security, and economic competitiveness of the U.S. airline industry for more than 80 years.