SEATTLE (AP) -- Alaska Airlines mechanics have ratified a four-year contract that includes pay raises and health care caps.About 700 employees covered by the new agreement will get an 11.8 percent pay raise this year and 1.5 percent raises in each subsequent year.
Approval of the contract, announced by the company and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association on Friday, came three months after the union rejected Alaska's initial proposal.
Of 565 mechanics who cast ballots, 88 percent voted to ratify the offer.
Louie Key, a union spokesman, said a key improvement in the new agreement was language to control health care costs.''We are pleased that, during a time of such uncertainty in the airline industry, we were able to work closely with Alaska to secure an agreement that provides both pay increases and long-term job security,'' Key said in a statement released by the airline. groups.''
In an internal message to employees, Alaska Chief Executive Bill Ayer said: ''Line maintenance is a core function of Alaska Airlines. This new contract recognizes that fact and will provide these dedicated employees with market-based wages for years to come.''
Alaska mechanics work at the carrier's facilities in Seattle; Moses Lake, Wash.; Portland, Ore; Anchorage; Juneau, Alaska; San Francisco; Oakland, Calif.; and Los Angeles.
