Allegiant Air flight dispatchers agree to unionize again

Flight dispatchers working for Allegiant Air agreed to unionize again, just one year after their union was decertified, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Tuesday.

The move comes after more than 85 percent of Allegiant’s pilots ratified their first union contract in July in a five-year deal that included a 31 percent pay raise.

“We’ve had a number of strong victories at Allegiant Air recently and we’re proud of the work we’ve done to raise the standards for Allegiant pilots,” Capt. David Bourne, director of the Teamsters Airline Division, said in a statement. “We look forward to representing these dispatchers and getting them an industry-leading agreement.”

Allegiant’s flight dispatchers were members of the Teamsters until 2015, when a decertification voted ended in a tie, union officials said. A federal district court judge ultimately found that the National Mediation Board had properly ended their representation.

The 34-member bargaining unit of flight dispatchers will be represented by Teamsters Local 986 in South El Monte, California.

“Although we are disappointed in the decision, we remain committed to ensuring a great working environment for our flight dispatchers,” Scott Sheldon, Allegiant’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, said in a statement. “We stand ready to meet and begin the process of negotiations to ultimately reach a fair collective bargaining agreement for this dedicated team.”

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.