SkyWest Airlines 2014 Annual Report Download - page 21

Employee Matters
Railway Labor Act
Our relations with labor unions in the U.S. are governed by the Railway Labor Act (the ‘‘RLA’’).
Under the RLA, a labor union seeking to represent an unrepresented craft or class of employees is
required to file with the National Mediation Board (the ‘‘NMB’’) an application alleging a
representation dispute, along with authorization cards signed by at least 35% of the employees in that
craft or class. The NMB then investigates the dispute and, if it finds the labor union has obtained a
sufficient number of authorization cards, conducts an election to determine whether to certify the labor
union as the collective bargaining representative of that craft or class. Under the NMB’s usual rules, a
labor union will be certified as the representative of the employees in a craft or class only if more than
50% of those employees vote for union representation. A certified labor union then enters into
negotiations toward a collective bargaining agreement with the employer.
Under the RLA, a collective bargaining agreement between an airline and a labor union does not
expire, but instead becomes amendable as of a stated date. Either party may request that the NMB
appoint a federal mediator to participate in the negotiations for a new or amended agreement. If no
agreement is reached in mediation, the NMB may determine, at any time, that an impasse exists and
offer binding arbitration. If either party rejects binding arbitration, a 30-day ‘‘cooling off’’ period
begins. At the end of this 30-day period, the parties may engage in ‘‘self help,’’ unless the U.S.
President appoints a Presidential Emergency Board (‘‘PEB’’) to investigate and report on the dispute.
The appointment of a PEB maintains the ‘‘status quo’’ for an additional 60 days. If the parties do not
reach agreement during this period, the parties may then engage in ‘‘self help.’’ ‘‘Self help’’ includes,
among other things, a strike by the union or the imposition of proposed changes to the collective
bargaining agreement by the airline. The U.S. Congress and the President have the authority to prevent
‘‘self help’’ by enacting legislation that, among other things, imposes a settlement on the parties.
Collective Bargaining
As of December 31, 2014, we had approximately 18,500 full-time equivalent employees.
Approximately 45.1% of these employees were represented by unions, including the employee groups
listed in the table below. Notwithstanding the completion of the ExpressJet Combination, ExpressJet’s
employee groups continue to be represented by those unions who provided representation prior to the
ExpressJet Combination. Accordingly, the following table refers to ExpressJet’s employee groups based
upon their union affiliations prior to the ExpressJet Combination.
Approximate
Number of
Active Employees Status of
Employee Group Represented Representatives Agreement
Atlantic Southeast Pilots .......... 1,631 Air Line Pilots Association Amendable
International
Atlantic Southeast Flight Attendants . . 1,132 International Association of Machinists Amendable
and Aerospace Workers
Atlantic Southeast Flight Controllers . . 53 Transport Workers Union of America Amendable
Atlantic Southeast Mechanics ....... 554 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Amendable
Atlantic Southeast Stock Clerks ...... 60 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Amendable
ExpressJet Delaware Pilots ......... 2,577 Air Line Pilots Association Amendable
International
ExpressJet Delaware Flight Attendants . 1,210 International Association of Machinists Amendable
and Aerospace Workers
ExpressJet Delaware Mechanics ..... 942 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Amendable
ExpressJet Delaware Dispatchers ..... 81 Transport Workers Union of America Amendable
ExpressJet Delaware Stock Clerks .... 97 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Amendable
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