Horizon Air Pilots Picket After Nearly Four Years Without Contract
Seattle – October 14, 2026 -- Nearly 650 Horizon Air pilots held an informational picket in Seattle and Boise, pressing the Alaska Air Group subsidiary to settle a contract after almost four years of negotiations.
The pilots are represented by Teamsters Local 1224. The union says talks cover wages, staffing and training shortages, and operational concerns affecting both employees and the airline's future.
Union says Horizon pilots fly nearly as much as Alaska Airlines pilots but are paid below industry standards
Local 1224 argues that Horizon pilots perform nearly the same amount of flying as their counterparts at parent-carrier Alaska Airlines. It blames the pay gap on the company's refusal to negotiate a fair agreement.
Henry Simkins, Chair of Local 1224's Horizon Executive Council, said management is "dragging its feet" on a contract and that operational dysfunction has become impossible to ignore in bargaining.