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.
Pilots will vote no confidence in Horizon operations chief Carlos Zendejas
Alongside the picket, Horizon pilots will hold a no-confidence vote on Carlos Zendejas, Senior Vice President of Operations. The union cites chronic staffing shortages, inconsistent application of company policies and procedures, and growing reliance on pilots to cover operational shortcomings.
According to the union, these problems have persisted throughout the negotiations and have significantly eroded trust in company leadership. Jason Welch, a Horizon pilot and Local 1224 member, said pilots are expected to do more with less and that management has not addressed the issues that matter most to them.