Story ID: 
NetJets Pilots Approve New Contract
By: Chad Trautvetter
Caption: The ratification culminated more than two years of often contentious contract negotiations.
Word Count: 222
NetJets pilot union members yesterday ratified the 2015 Tentative Agreement with 96 percent of members participating in the referendum and 75.43 percent voting to ratify the measure. According to the union, 1,759 voted to ratify the proposal, with 573 voting to reject it.  

The contract provides an average pay increase of 28 percent over five years in all fleets and holds down increases on health-care costs, according to the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) union. Health-care costs and wage ratios were among the key stumbling blocks in the negotiations last year between NetJets and the pilots’ union. The contract also includes signing bonuses equal to $150 per month of service, up to a $30,000 maximum.

The agreement, announced in October, followed more than two years of often contentious contract negotiations between the NJASAP and NetJets Aviation management. “The unflinching resolve and dedication of the NJASAP membership has brought us to today: the ratification of a contract that sets the bar even higher in the fractional aviation community,” NJASAP president Pedro Leroux said. “We look forward to partnering with NetJets to develop a seamless implementation plan.”

“Our pilots are a huge part of the NetJets story,” said NetJets Aviation president Shane Eyer. “This contract reflects their vitally important role in our success and the contribution they will make to our future.”