ALPA Applauds Virginia General Assembly for Protecting Airline Crew Members' Right to Paid Sick Leave

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) today issued the following statement after Virginia’s General Assembly rejected Governor Abigail Spanberger’s proposed amendments to House Bill 5, which attempted to strip airline pilots and flight attendants of the paid sick leave protections that the legislature deliberately extended to them.

“We applaud the Virginia General Assembly for holding firm and rejecting Governor Spanberger's proposed amendment to House Bill 5. By sending the original, inclusive legislation back to the Governor's desk, Virginia lawmakers stood up to the Governor’s blindsided approach and reaffirmed what they recognized from the start: that airline pilots and flight attendants are Virginia workers, and they deserve the same protections as every other Virginian.

"The Virginia General Assembly heard from its constituents and did the right thing. Airline crew members get sick just like everyone else. Now, the Governor has the choice to heed the call of the General Assembly so that pilots and flight attendants will have the same basic protections their colleagues in every other industry already hold. We thank the legislators who stood firm against airline industry pressure and kept faith with the workers they represent. Airline crew members are Virginia workers. They deserve nothing less.”

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