Pilots ratify pact with SkyWest unit

SkyWest Inc.'s Atlantic Southeast Airlines unit said its pilots ratified a new three-year labor agreement that includes pay increases and a signing bonus.

The accord with Atlantic Southeast's chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association won 83 percent of the vote, the Atlanta-based carrier said Tuesday in a statement. Atlantic Southeast operates regional flights for Delta Air Lines Inc.

The vote caps five years of bargaining at Atlantic Southeast and gives parent SkyWest its second labor victory this month. An Air Line Pilots Association organizing drive was rejected Nov. 6 by pilots at SkyWest, which does regional flying for carriers including UAL Corp.'s United Airlines. SkyWest is based in St. George, Utah.

"It may have taken awhile to get here, but it was worth the time and effort," said Bryan LaBrecque, Atlantic Southeast's president, in the statement. The proposed contract was reached Sept. 28 and covers almost 1,700 pilots.

Pilot leaders signed the new contract with management Tuesday after the ratification vote, the union said in a statement.

"Despite many obstacles over the past five years, our pilots persevered," said Captain Dave Nieuwenhuis, chairman of the airline's ALPA unit. The contract "secures their jobs and provides overdue increases to their compensation."

SkyWest fell 49 cents to $24.08 at 5:20 p.m. New York time Tuesday in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading.