Allegiant Travel lays off entire ground crew at McCarran

Allegiant Travel Co. told its entire ground crew at McCarran International Airport that their functions would be turned over to an independent contractor on May 3.

However, the 165 people, including gate agents, baggage handlers and ticket counter representatives, will have the chance to reapply for their current jobs with the new company, St. Louis-based Airport Terminal Services. The company said it employs 2,000 people in ground positions at 40 airports across the country.
The interview process will start on Wednesday and go through Saturday.

A spokeswoman for Allegiant, which is known for shaving costs where ever possible, described the move as "an attempt to be as efficient as possible." But one Allegiant employee, who asked not to be identified, said that meant taking pay and benefit cuts.

With no warning, Allegiant contacted the employees either by phone or e-mail on Tuesday to tell them their "attendance was highly recommended" at a special meeting at the Hampton Inn on West Tropicana Avenue, according to an employee. There, the people were told of the change and given white envelopes with information about what would happen.

At one point, said the employee, the discussion grew so heated that Las Vegas police were called to the hotel. However, one employee went up to the officers in one of two Las Vegas police cars parked in the hotel lot and told them, "I'm glad you guys weren't needed."

Like many airlines, Allegiant outsources ground functions in cities where it has only a few flights a week. Allegiant spokeswoman could not say if it had contractors running ground operations at any of its other busier, destination airports such as Phoenix-Mesa.

Pilots, flight attendants and mechanics are among the positions that remain on the company payroll.