NetJets threatens litigation over alleged slowdown

Union responds, disputes all allegations

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, NJASAP, the independent labor union representing the 3,200-plus pilots who fly for NetJets, received a letter from NetJets counsel alleging, among other things, that the Union had condoned or encouraged pilots to engage in a work slowdown in an attempt to negatively impact the Fractional's operations. A subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A), NetJets Aviation Inc. is the premier provider of luxury private air transportation.

Specifically, NetJets has alleged pilots were "spiking" fatigue rates, increasing the frequency of documenting maintenance issues on aircraft and refusing to voluntarily extend their duty days.

In its letter, however, NetJets:

1. failed to provide any evidence to substantiate that any pilot called in fatigued when they were not, in fact, too fatigued to safely perform flight operations, 
    
2. failed to provide any evidence to substantiate that any pilot documented maintenance issues on aircraft that did not actually exist, or
    
3. failed to provide any evidence to substantiate that any pilot refused to work extra days simply to impact the Company's operations as opposed to their own personal reasons.

Furthermore, NetJets attorneys demanded the Union take disciplinary action, up to and including imposing financial penalties, against any pilot(s) who engaged in such behavior. The company issued this demand while, once again, failing to identify a single pilot who engaged in any of the alleged conduct.

"NJASAP adamantly denies that it is engaged in any concerted effort to condone or to encourage such a slowdown, and we have issued a communication to our members to cease and desist any individual efforts to do so," NJASAP President Capt. Pedro Leroux said. "We view NetJets' letter and threats as its latest attempt to censor NJASAP's ability to communicate with its members about important matters that affect flight crew and owner and customer safety." Leroux went on to emphasize that NJASAP will vigorously defend itself against all allegations and will not be intimidated in its efforts to effectively represent the Membership's interests.

About NJASAP Founded in 2008 as an independent labor advocate, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) represents the professional interests of the 3,200-plus pilots who fly in the service of NetJets Aviation, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. For more information, please visit our websites, www.njasap.com and www.genuineqs.com, or find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/njasap, Instagram, www.instagram.com/njasap, and Twitter, @njasap.

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SOURCE NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP)