Regional carrier Republic Airways hopes its stern new controversial strategy will retain pilots amidst an ongoing pilot shortage in the US. The strategy, which is included in the airline’s eye-catching new employment contract, is also part of a pilot pathway program.

The pilot shortage has impacted regional airlines such as Republic more than mainline carriers. As a result, Republic introduced a new pilot contract designed to keep pilots at the airline for longer than one year.

Agreement details

According to One Mile At A Time, Republic is seeking new pilots to fly exclusively under its new agreement, also known as the Republic Airways New First Officer Career Advancement Program. The somewhat unprecedented contract has some key stipulations:

• Pilots must stay with the regional airline for at least three years
• After one year, pilots may have the opportunity to graduate to the captain position but will need to fly as much as they can in order to do so
• New hires are committing to being a captain for two years
• Pilots who voluntarily break the agreement and leave the airline before the three-year mark are subject to a $100,000 fine
• If a pilot resigns before the three-year mark, they are not allowed to work for any other competing airline within a year

Any first officer who advances to becoming a captain within a year will also face low seniority and may have to commute to their base, which could be less ideal. Additionally, rather than Republic charging pilots who break their contract as a penalty, the airline reportedly refers to the offense as liquidated damages.

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Backlash and controversy

In the last few years, regional airlines have increased the pay rate for pilots to retain as much as possible during the shortage. Republic has reportedly received backlash for its strict and steep policy.

Teamsters, the union representing the airline’s pilots, filed a grievance against Republic last week. The union said the agreement is problematic in a memo to the airline obtained by Aero Crew News.

“With the completion of the new Training Center, and after a brief hiatus of New-Hire classes to bring our Captain/First Officer ratio into closer balance, Republic Airways is beginning to bring in new First Officers for training. It has come to our attention that as a prerequisite for employment, New-Hire Pilots are required to enroll in the Republic Airways New First Officer Career Advancement Pathway Program Agreement (the “Agreement”). Your Executive Board believes that this Agreement is problematic for many reasons.”

According to the agreement posted by a user on Reddit, Republic is mandating that new pilots will “aggressively pursue the path to Captain upgrade,” meaning the pilot would need to pick up extra flights in addition to their monthly schedule. In response, Teamsters said it plans to challenge the requirement, saying it undermines its collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

“Forced upgrades and mandatory overtime have been rejected by Negotiating Committees over several negotiation cycles,” the union explained. “That the Company would impose them as a condition of employment is a circumvention of our CBA we will vigorously challenge.”

Possible litigation?

There is no word whether Republic will reevaluate its new employment contract. If the airline refuses, Teamsters said it would threaten litigation to settle it.

“This Agreement is egregious, and we are hopeful the Company will reconsider its position before it needs to be settled via grievance, arbitration or litigation. [...] We believe this Agreement, even before we get into haggling over its enforceability, will have a chilling effect on the quantity and quality of the Pilots willing to choose Republic to begin their career.”

Republic Airways operates a fleet of more than 200 Embraer E175 aircraft on behalf of the regional brands of American Airlines (American Eagle), Delta Air Lines (Delta Connection), and United Airlines (United Express).

What do you think of Republic’s new employment contract? Let us know in the comments!

Sources: One Mile At A Time, Aero Crew News, Republic Airways New First Officer Career Advancement Pathway Program Agreement (Reddit)