Union leadership keeping watch on Allegiant-Sun Country merger

Unions representing employees of Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines say they’ll keep a close watch on the proposed $1.5 billion merger between the two low-cost air carriers to make sure the transaction is beneficial to workers.

Executives of the two airlines surprised the aviation industry Sunday when they announced plans to combine Las Vegas-based Allegiant with Sun Country, headquartered in Minneapolis, two leisure customer favorites that take passengers to desirable vacation destinations.

The biggest difference between the two airlines is that Allegiant focuses on small-town America, flying between airports where they’re often the only jet operator to places like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Florida. Sun Country has a similar mission, but serves larger cities, like Chicago, New York, Denver and Minneapolis.

The Air Line Pilots Association and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are the two largest unions representing employees of Allegiant and Sun Country and representatives of those unions say they intend to closely monitor the process of blending the two air carriers into one under a single operating certificate.

Other unions also involved

In addition to ALPA and the Teamsters, dispatchers are represented by the Transport Workers Union of America and aircraft maintenance technicians are represented by an independent organization. Allegiant flight attendants are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants.

“ALPA has 90 years of experience negotiating mergers, large and small, between ALPA carriers and ALPA-to-non-ALPA carriers such as Allegiant,” Capt. Sam Larson, chair of the Sun Country Master Executive Council, said in a statement issued after the announcement was made.

“We will be reaching out to (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) leadership to begin collaborative efforts toward a fair and equitable integration of the pilot seniority lists. In addition, we will jointly develop a comprehensive collective bargaining agreement that reflects the best interests of both groups.”

Integrating seniority lists is often a process that trips up airlines in a merger like this. Initially, Larson said the carriers would continue to run independently. The deal closing the merger is expected to be completed by the second half of 2026.

“In the immediate term, there will be no operational changes for our pilots,” Larson said. “Daily operations will continue as normal, with both airlines functioning independently while we await the necessary approvals from government regulatory agencies. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and professionalism throughout the integration.

“ALPA will continue to protect the interests of Sun Country pilots while also leveraging the strengths of both pilot groups to forge a unified pilot group that champions safety, prioritizes job security and provides industry-standard compensation and benefits. We believe that a collaborative approach will be essential to the success of this merger and the well-being of all pilots involved.”

Teamsters represent 3,000

The Teamsters represent more than 3,000 workers across both companies, including pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians and related employees, and dispatchers at Allegiant Air, as well as flight attendants and fleet service workers at Sun Country.

“Any merger of this size deserves careful scrutiny, especially when workers’ livelihoods are on the line,” Dave Saucedo, director of the Teamsters Airline Division, said in a release. “There are unanswered questions that need to be addressed as this process unfolds, and the Teamsters will be actively monitoring every step. Our members can count on us to be present, engaged and fighting for their interests.”

The proposed merger remains subject to approval by the federal government. Both Allegiant and the Sun Country pilots are currently in negotiations with their respective companies to secure improvements to existing labor contracts.

“The Teamsters and our local unions look forward to working collaboratively with fellow unions at Allegiant and Sun Country to ensure that employees share in any benefits of a merger,” said Greg Unterseher, Above-the-Wing director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “At the end of the day, any merger must deliver real gains for workers in the form of improved wages, job security and working conditions for our members at both carriers.”

The two big unions have been operating for decades.

Teamsters represent more than 1.3 million people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.