ALA-HAL: JCBA Negotiations Update (Sept. 2026)

On Labor Day, the Alaska-Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee met for the latest round of bargaining with Alaska management. While some progress was made, there are still critical items unresolved. To discuss the current state of negotiations after 18 months of bargaining, this episode features our elected pilot leaders, Alaska MEC Chair Captain Drew Coyle and Hawaiian MEC Chair Captain Larry Payne, offering their perspective. In this discussion, the MEC Chairs go over the recent negotiating developments, why the MECs are drawing public attention to the ongoing negotiations, and what pilots can do to help in the near future. In this conversation: 0:00 – Introduction 1:04 – Recent Negotiations Progress 2:59 – Remaining JCBA Items 4:40 – Public Engagement Events 11:31 – Labor Day and Unity 13:30 – The Value of Pattern Bargaining 14:53 – Patience vs. Speed in Negotiations 16:37 – Final Thoughts