Labor Arbitrator Sides With Union in Alaska Airlines Dispute

Alaska Airlines can’t renege on a pre-pandemic agreement that prevents the company from laying off unionized workers in six cities, an arbitrator said.

The arbitrator, siding with the Aircraft Maintenance Fraternal Association Local 32, blocked the airline from furloughing technicians in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, and New York until 2023 under an existing clause in the collective bargaining agreement.

The agreement—reached less than two months before the coronavirus outbreak decimated U.S. airlines—features a no-layoff clause for all workers in the bargaining unit. It includes an exception for natural disasters and other phenomena that cause serious ...