Virgin America flygere blir med i US ALPA

Virgin America Pilots Look to Join Air Line Pilots Association 

 

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Virgin America (VA) pilots have approached the Air Line Pilots Association about unionization, ALPA President Lee Moak said Wednesday. 

 

 "We are working with them in the same manner we worked with the JetBlue (JBLU) organizing committee," Moak said in an interview. "We are confident we will have a positive outcome." 

 

JetBlue pilots voted to join ALPA in April, with 71% of voters backing the union. Two earlier organizing campaigns failed. 

 

"The win shows the strong desire of JetBlue pilots to gain a meaningful voice in their future, the certainty of a collective bargaining agreement, and the resources needed to be relevant," ALPA said in a prepared statement following the April election. "These objectives motivated the overwhelming grass roots effort by JetBlue pilots which led to today's vote." 

 

A Virgin America spokeswoman declined to comment on Wednesday. 

 

In August, Virgin America flight attendants voted to join the Transport Workers Union after rejecting the same union in a 2011 vote. Of 737 flight attendants who voted, 58% backed the union. 

 

Virgin America shares have been gaining ground rapidly since they began trading Friday following an initial public offering that raised $306 million. The offering price was $23 a share. 

 

 In mid-morning trading on Wednesday, shares were down 49 cents to $36.56.