Solar Nation Negotiates New Contract As Flight Attendants Authorize Union Strike, Federal Steps Nonetheless Required

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Solar Nation’s flight attendants have licensed their union to provoke a strike if wanted, however buyer journey stays unaffected as negotiations for a brand new contract proceed.

Solar Nation’s flight attendants have voted to grant their union, IBT Native 120, the authority to provoke a strike if vital sooner or later. We worth our flight attendants and deeply respect their contributions to Solar Nation’s prospects and our airline. We respect their proper to specific their views by this vote.

Solar Nation prospects can relaxation assured that this strike authorization vote is not going to have an effect on their journey plans.

A strike authorization vote is a typical tactic utilized by unions throughout contract negotiations. It doesn’t point out {that a} strike is imminent or assured. Federal regulation requires a number of steps earlier than airline staff can strike, together with public notification and authorities approval. We aren’t at that stage within the course of.

Solar Nation and the Worldwide Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Native 120, representing our flight attendants, are presently negotiating a brand new contract with the assistance of a mediator from the Nationwide Mediation Board (NMB). We’re assured {that a} mutually useful settlement can be reached, one which our flight attendants can be proud to assist and that can safe the way forward for our airline.

Overview for Media on the Airline Union Negotiation Course of:

Earlier than an airline union can provoke a strike, a number of key steps have to be accomplished based on U.S. federal regulation:

1. Negotiation: The union and the airline should first interact in direct negotiations to attempt to attain an settlement.
2. Mediation: If negotiations attain an deadlock, the Nationwide Mediation Board (NMB) could step in to mediate the dispute.
3. Proffer of Arbitration: If the NMB concludes that additional negotiations are unlikely to yield an settlement, it’s going to challenge a “proffer of arbitration,” inviting each events to enter binding arbitration to resolve the dispute.
4. Cooling-Off Interval: Ought to both get together reject the proffer of arbitration, the NMB initiates a 30-day cooling-off interval. After this era, the union could proceed with a strike, or the airline could lock out staff.
5. Presidential Emergency Board (PEB): Throughout or shortly after the cooling-off interval, the NMB could assess the strike’s potential affect on interstate commerce and the nationwide transportation system. If deemed important, the NMB can advocate that the President set up a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB). The PEB has 30 days to conduct hearings and challenge non-binding suggestions to resolve the dispute. Following this, one other 30-day cooling-off interval happens, after which the union could strike or the corporate could lock out staff.

   These steps present a number of probabilities for decision and assist forestall sudden strikes, guaranteeing that strikes stay a final resort. The final strike within the U.S. airline trade occurred in 2010.