Teamsters Sue Horizon Air Over Pilot Rest Rules and Leadership

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division and Teamsters Local 1224 have escalated a high-stakes labour confrontation with regional carrier Horizon Air, filing a federal lawsuit alleging systemic breaches of contractual pilot rest protections and announcing a sweeping 99 percent vote of no confidence in senior operational leadership. The twin actions follow more than three and a half years of stalled collective bargaining negotiations between the airline and its flight crew workforce.

Horizon Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, operates regional feeder flights across the Pacific Northwest and West Coast utilising a fleet of Embraer 175 aircraft. The union's legal challenge and executive rebuke signal deteriorating industrial relations at the regional airline, where pilots have grown increasingly vocal regarding workplace conditions, scheduling predictability, and safety-critical fatigue governance.

Federal Lawsuit Challenges Pilot Fatigue Travel Rules

The Teamsters Airline Division and Local 1224 formally lodged their complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, accusing Horizon Air of violating the Railway Labor Act (RLA). The lawsuit specifically targets a disputed management policy requiring flight crewmembers who declare operational fatigue at their home base to travel as non-revenue passengers—known in industry terminology as deadheading—to another destination city before being permitted to commence their contractually guaranteed rest period.

The union contends that forcing fatigued aviators onto passenger flights before releasing them for mandatory rest directly undermines negotiated fatigue mitigation protocols and compromises the fundamental safety objectives established under federal aviation regulations. The complaint requests that the federal court issue an injunction directing Horizon Air management to halt the practice immediately and restore the contractual rest protections agreed upon in the governing collective bargaining agreement.

"Management cannot pick and choose which parts of our contract it wants to follow," stated Sean Lenney, an active Horizon Air line pilot and member of Teamsters Local 1224. "These protections were negotiated for a reason, and our members will not stand by while the company disregards them. We are united in holding Horizon Air accountable and we will get the contract and working conditions we deserve."

Overwhelming No-Confidence Vote in Operations Leadership

In tandem with the federal legal proceedings, the Teamsters announced that 99 percent of participating pilots voted in favour of a formal resolution of no confidence against Carlos Zendejas, Horizon Air's Senior Vice President of Operations. The decisive ballot reflected deep-seated rank-and-file frustration with prolonged operational disruptions, aggressive crew management tactics, and an apparent unwillingness from leadership to address chronic scheduling grievances.

Following the vote, the Horizon Air Pilots Executive Council of Local 1224 officially petitioned Alaska Air Group executive leadership to remove Zendejas from his post. Union representatives argued that restoring stability across Horizon's operational footprint requires leadership that prioritises collaborative labour relations, honours existing contractual commitments, and values pilot well-being.

"Horizon Air pilots have made it clear that they have lost confidence in this company's leadership," declared Henry Simkins, Chair of Local 1224's Horizon Air Executive Council. "Our members have continued to do their jobs safely and professionally while management has failed to address serious problems within the airline. Our pilots deserve leadership that respects them, honours their commitments, and takes responsibility for the direction of this company."

Protracted Contract Negotiations and Regional Workforce Pressure

The union's dual escalation takes place against the backdrop of an exhausting contract dispute that has now persisted for over 42 months without a comprehensive agreement. To highlight their ongoing bargaining impasse over wage rates, career progression pathways, and duty-time limits, Horizon pilots conducted informational pickets outside Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boise Airport on 15 October.

As regional carriers across North America balance mainline capacity demands against pilot retention challenges, the dispute at Horizon underscores the critical importance of robust duty-time and rest regulations. With pilots demanding that contractual rest guarantees remain inviolable, the outcome of the federal lawsuit will carry significant precedent for collective bargaining enforcement and fatigue risk management across the regional airline sector.