Teamsters, Flights Options Management Agree to Rigorous Bargaining Schedule in Attempt to Finalize Pilots' First Contract

Representatives of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division, Local Union 1108 and Flight Options, LLC, the Cleveland-based provider of luxury business jet fractional ownership and charter programs, have agreed to at least ten additional meetings in October as part of a joint effort to reach a first labor contract for pilots by the end of the month.

“The Teamsters Airline Division looks forward to a strong labor-management partnership with Flight Options, LLC,” said Capt. David Bourne, Teamsters Airline Division Director. “A first contract that works for pilots and their families, as well as management and the fractional owners and customers, is the foundation for the company’s future success.”

At upcoming meetings, negotiators will conduct joint economic analysis and attempt to resolve the final details of pilot job security protections in advance of a week of mediated negotiations lead by the National Mediation Board (NMB) at the end of the month. The NMB is a federal agency charged with administering the Railway Labor Act, the federal law governing labor relations in the airline and railroad industries.

“The aggressive meeting schedule agreed to by the two negotiating teams is promising,” said Capt. Mat Slinghoff, President of Teamsters Local 1108. “The pilots I represent remain committed to reaching a win-win agreement with Flight Options management.”

Teamsters Local 1108 is part of the Teamsters Airline Division, representing more than 500 pilots employed by Flight Options, LLC. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was founded in 1903 and represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.