JetBlue Pilots Sue to Force Company to Fully Arbitrate Job Security Guarantees Impacted by Blue Sky Partnership with United Airlines

Washington, D.C.—Today, JetBlue Pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), filed a lawsuit against JetBlue Airways in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York after management refused to fully arbitrate all aspects of a contractual grievance filed over whether the Company’s Blue Sky arrangement with United Airlines violates job protections in the JetBlue pilot contract.

The lawsuit requests that the Court compel JetBlue to arbitrate the entirety of the union’s grievance concerning the Blue Sky arrangement. The lawsuit is not expected to affect ongoing contract negotiations. Captain Wayne Scales, chairman of the JetBlue unit of ALPA, issued the following statement:

“Almost seven months ago, JetBlue pilots filed a grievance to remedy violations of our collective bargaining agreement caused by JetBlue’s Blue Sky partnership with United—specifically violations of those sections providing job security for more than 4,600 JetBlue pilots.

“Despite the arbitration being scheduled months ago, JetBlue management chose the eleventh hour to attempt to deny pilots any effective hearing on the grievance, asserting falsely that the arbitration board lacks jurisdiction over key aspects of the dispute. We believe that JetBlue is playing games rather than living up to its obligation to resolve disputes. As a result, JetBlue pilots had no choice but to resort to court intervention to restore our rights and to compel JetBlue to fulfill its legal duties to arbitrate the pilots’ grievance over Blue Sky.

“Federal law is clear: Contract disputes, like the pilots’ grievance in this case, must go to arbitration. JetBlue pilots went through the legally prescribed channels to have our issues with the Blue Sky arrangement addressed. However, if JetBlue refuses to be held accountable before an arbitrator, we will hold them accountable in court.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us on X @ALPAPilots.

CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org