Story ID: 
NetJets Pilots Plan Seven-city Informational Picketing
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Dispute between NJASAP and NetJets centers around healthcare costs and pay issues, according to the pilots' union.
Word Count: 290
On September 10, members of the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) are planning an informational picketing event in seven cities. “NetJets pilots are exercising their right to engage in informational picketing to inform our customers and the public about the labor dispute with NetJets,” according to the union, which represents about 2,700 NetJets pilots. “The parties have been unable to reach an agreement on a new contract because of company proposals to cut insurance benefits while shifting additional healthcare costs to the workforce and pay issues.”

In response to questions from AIN, a NJASAP spokeswoman sent this statement: "At this time, NJASAP and NetJets remain in government-supervised mediation as outlined in the Railway Labor Act. Although NetJets has emphasized very favorable financial performance in the media, management has set its sights on the pilots’ healthcare package nevertheless. The rationale? For lack of a better way to phrase it, they are seeking to cut insurance benefits while shifting additional healthcare costs to the workforce because everyone else is doing it."

The seven cities are: Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Seattle; Teterboro, N.J.; Van Nuys, Calif; and West Palm Beach, Fla. NJASAP declined to provide further details about the specific nature of its dispute with NetJets. Following the departure of then-chairman and CEO Jordan Hansell on June 1 and the rehiring of Adam Johnson in the same roles and Bill Noe as president and COO, the union and NetJets have been in mediation, although apparently little progress has resulted.

At the time of the transition, NJASAP president Pedro Leroux said he was “cautiously optimistic” that the leadership changes could help rebuild strained labor relations and possibly lead to a quicker resolution of contract negotiations.