Pilots with Frontier and other airlines picket outside Frontier Airlines’ Denver headquarters as pilots continue to negotiate a new contract, Nov. 12, 2024. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)
Pilots from Frontier Airlines and other members of the Air Line Pilots Association, International picketed outside Frontier’s Denver headquarters Tuesday as they continue to negotiate a contract for compensation that’s more in line with that of competitors.
Fred Jenkins, an ALPA spokesperson who has been a Frontier pilot for about 10 years, said the picket intended to show unity to management in support of a contract that “we believe we have earned and represents our outsized role that we play for the success of Frontier Airlines.”
ALPA represents more than 78,000 pilots who work for 41 United States- and Canada-based airlines.
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Negotiations started in January when the current contract for Frontier pilots expired, and 99% of pilots voted to authorize a strike in October ahead of a busy holiday travel season. The current contract was negotiated at the end of 2018, and Jenkins said “the industry has changed drastically” since then.
“It’s been a lengthy process to make little progress with our management, and we would really love for the power brokers to come forward who can really make those decisions that will move this process forward,” Jenkins said.
Frontier is the third largest airline operating out of Denver International Airport, serving more than 7.5 million passengers in 2023, which is just under 10% of the market volume at the airport. The airline is headquartered in Denver and serves 120 cities across the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.
Jenkins said the union’s proposed contract aligns with how other airline pilot contracts evolved over the last six years. That includes improvements to job security, compensation, retirement, and quality of life improvements that affect pilots and their families. Jenkins said Frontier’s compensation is 49% behind peers in the industry.
A Frontier spokesperson said airline leaders continue to engage in negotiations and “continue to exchange proposals under the guidance of the National Mediation Board.” The next meeting is scheduled for next week.
“We look forward to working toward an agreement that is fair, sustainable, and supports our pilots while ensuring the continued success of our company,” the airline said in a statement.
Union members and pilots with United Airlines, Delta Airlines, FedEx, Alaska Airlines and others joined Frontier pilots on the picket line in Denver, with people traveling from around the country on their days off to participate. Jenkins traveled from Ohio for the picket.
Michael Maynard, chair of Frontier union leadership, the group of pilots negotiating with management, said in a statement that pilots have been “dedicated to driving our airline’s growth and profitability, yet the proposals from management fall far short of the fair compensation we have earned.”
“Today, we are here to remind Frontier leadership of their obligation to recognize and appropriately reward the pilots who keep this airline running efficiently and safely,” he said.
Jenkins said the union’s goal is not to go on strike but rather to get a fair contract that’s better aligned with other airlines.
“Frontier doesn’t get a discount on the gates that it uses or the airplanes it buys, and we don’t believe they deserve a discount on their pilots,” Jenkins said.
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