JetBlue pilots settle ‘Northeast Alliance’ dispute, but hurdles remain

JetBlue Airways’ pilots have ratified an agreement that ends a year-long dispute over aspects of the carrier’s “Northeast Alliance” (NEA) with American Airlines. Pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), had charged that implementation of parts of the NEA violated their contract. “Since the NEA was announced in the summer of 2020, JetBlue pilots have enforced their contract and, when necessary, disputed the company’s ability to enter into this codeshare agreement with American Airlines without the consent of the pilots,” says JetBlue captain Chris Kenney, chair of JetBlue’s ALPA unit. Out of nearly 90% of eligible pilots voting, 60% ratified the agreement. Kenney says the deal “gives the pilot group a voice in this alliance and its continuation, [and] provides improvement to our current pay scale and sick-leave policies”. In February, JetBlue’s ALPA council said it would re-open contract negotiations 180 days before the collective bargaining agreement’s 31 July 2022 amendable date. Yesterday’s settlement appears to be an opening salvo in negotiations. Still, tall hurdles face the NEA, among them a US Department of Justice lawsuit, filed last September, seeking to block the deal. <br/>