Horizon Air pilots pass vote to amend labor contract

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May 23, 2017, 14:58 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Air pilots, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) have approved an amendment to their existing eight-year contract. Horizon is a regional airline that flies as Alaska Airlines.

The amended contract contains a significant increase to pilot compensation, offered to both new and existing pilots, with Horizon's starting pay now at the top end of the regional airline industry pay scale at all steps. This, coupled with the company's generous incentive pay programs, top-tier 401k match, industry-leading flight deck technology and desirable Pacific Northwest bases, make Horizon Air the best regional airline for pilots.

"These agreements were achieved in partnership with IBT to ensure the company has top-tier pay for our pilots. This much needed pay increase, together with the incentive bonus programs in place, will enable us to attract and retain the best pilots in the industry to meet the increasing demands of our growing airline," said Brad Lambert, Horizon's vice president of flight operations and systems operations control.

The contract becomes amendable on December 2024. There were 531 eligible pilot voters and among the 88 percent of pilots who voted, 79 percent approved ratification.

Pilots are covered by the Railway Labor Act, so labor agreements do not expire; they become amendable and remain in effect until a new contract is ratified.

To learn more about career opportunities at Horizon Air, pilots can visit the careers page at http://horizonair.jobs/career-opportunities-pilots/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/QXPilotRecruiting/.

Horizon Air is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group and flies to 39 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 119 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Alaska Mileage Plan ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).