Judge blocks Allegiant Air pilots from striking

A federal judge issued an order Wednesday temporarily blocking Allegiant Air pilots from striking after they announced a Thursday walkout.

Chief Judge Gloria Navarro of U.S. District Court in Las Vegas said in the ruling, "The court finds that Allegiant is entitled to an ex parte temporary restraining order that enjoins (the union) and the other defendants from engaging in, encouraging, or calling an unlawful strike against Allegiant by its pilots in violation of the defendants' duties under the (Railway Labor Act)."

The strike potentially would have grounded more than 250 flights across the country and affecting more than 33,000 customers, the Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224 said Wednesday before the judge's ruling.

Among Allegiant's scheduled flights on Thursday are runs from Duluth to Las Vegas, and from Las Vegas back to Duluth. The airline announced last month that it will end its twice-weekly flights from Duluth to Las Vegas on May 18, after nine years in the Duluth market.

The strike would have followed more than two years of unsuccessful contract talks and a slew of allegations made by the union and management alike.

"This irresponsible and illegal action by the Teamsters has been timed to coincide with the busy holiday travel period, and unfortunately, will likely disrupt flights and passengers in and out of all of our destinations," the company said in a statement.

Allegiant sued the pilots union in federal court on Monday, saying it had violated the Railway Labor Act by moving to strike before the parties had exerted every effort to settle their disputes.

The National Mediation Board, which oversees collective bargaining for U.S. airlines, had told the parties on March 23 to continue negotiations, the lawsuit said.

"Allegiant is taking immediate legal action to put an end to the strike and restore normal service as quickly as possible," the company said in its Wednesday statement. "Instead of addressing their issues at the bargaining table, the Teamsters have resorted to heavy-handed and disruptive tactics rather than working toward a resolution."

The union had alleged that Allegiant didn't abide by a July 2014 federal court injunction that directed the airline to restore the pilots' benefits and work rule protections to levels negotiated previously. More than 98 percent of 473 participating pilots voted in January to authorize a strike.

"Striking is a last resort, but we cannot continue to stand by a company that flaunts the law by robbing the pilots of legally protected rights and benefits," Allegiant pilot Tom Pozdro said in the union's statement.

Source:  http://www.duluthnewstribune.com