Alaska Airlines Aircraft Technicians Approve Two-Year Contract Extension

Alaska Airlines and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) today jointly announced ratification of a two-year contract extension covering the airline’s 658 aircraft technicians. The extension was ratified by more than 77 percent of the technicians who voted.

The extended contract, which becomes amendable on Oct. 17, 2011, provides technicians with a 1.5-percent pay scale increase on Oct. 17 of 2009 and 2010. In addition, technicians will now participate in the same performance-based incentive plan as Alaska Airlines’ pilots, flight attendants, dispatch and management employees.

"With the current economic conditions in the airline industry, we felt that it was in our members’ best interest to have an opportunity to vote on the company’s contract extension offer and the negotiated letters of agreement," AMFA’s negotiating committee said in a statement. "The voting results now show the majority of our members believe this extension and the three letters of agreement will give them some stability over the next two years.”

Fred Mohr, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of maintenance and engineering, said, "This contract extension recognizes the value of our skilled and dedicated technicians, whose daily contributions are a key element in our operational excellence."

AMFA is the largest craft union representing aircraft technicians and related employees, and serves members at Alaska, Mesaba and Southwest Airlines. AMFA’s motto is "Safety in the air begins with quality maintenance on the ground."

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group , together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawai’i, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 North America Airline Satisfaction StudiesSM. For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: maria.koenig@alaskaair.com

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines