Allegiant halts pilots strike - for now

YOUNGSTOWN — The only commercial airline in operation at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport was able to temporarily halt a pilots strike through a court order today.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air received a temporary restraining order from a Nevada court to stop the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1224 that represents Allegiant pilots from striking.

The company said on Wednesday it had reason to believe the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1224 intended to initiate an “illegal” strike against the company over the Easter holiday weekend.

On its website, the union said veteran pilots with the airline will not fly regularly scheduled routes on Thursday from the airline’s major hubs across the country including Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa and Las Vegas.

“The strike comes as Allegiant refuses to reestablish a prior scheduling system and restore other basic benefits that have been illegally rolled back over a two-year period during which the company has posted record-level profits,” the union said. “In January, 98 percent of the company’s pilots, including those on reserve duty, voted to authorize a strike."

Allegiant said it has been in negotiations with the union since November and hoped to continue these negotiations.