(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Just weeks after ratifying their labor agreement, Berkshire Hathaway’s NetJets and its pilots’ union are in a new dispute. On June 3, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) reported that NetJets filed a surprise lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
The lawsuit alleges that the union defamed the company with statements about safety, maintenance, and pilot training concerns over the past year. NJASAP, representing over 3,400 NetJets pilots, asserts that these concerns have intensified recently.
NJASAP President Capt. Pedro Leroux emphasized the union’s stance, stating, “We view the lawsuit as an attempt to silence us. However, NJASAP has a federally protected right and an organizational and moral responsibility to our members – the NetJets pilots – and to our customers to raise safety issues, and we will continue to do just that.”
The union has been vocal about its commitment to addressing safety, training, and maintenance issues with management. Despite their efforts to collaborate, Leroux noted that management has chosen legal action over dialogue. “Management’s retaliatory course of action will not compel us to abandon our mission: NJASAP will not be intimidated into silence by anyone or anything, including a lawsuit,” he said.
This legal battle highlights ongoing tensions between NetJets and its pilots that despite increased pay have yet to be resolved.
© 2024 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.