Hundreds of NetJets pilots, respresented by the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP), picketed in front of Omaha’s CenturyLink Center on Saturday during the annual shareholders meeting of parent company Berkshire Hathaway to protest protracted contract negotiations, as well as gain the attention of Berskire chairman Warren Buffett.

“The comments Mr. Buffett made to Fox Business News on Thursday evening have made it very clear to us that he has not been fully apprised of the seriousness of the labor situation unfolding at NetJets,” said NJASAP president Pedro Leroux. “Despite outstanding financial performance—high profitability, a reduced debt obligation, domestic growth and international expansion—NetJets has demanded the pilots and other unionized employees agree to major concessions in wages, health care, work rules and job protection language.”

As a result of the negotiations that have dragged on for more than two years and other factors, 98 percent of the pilots recently voted “no confidence” in NetJets CEO Jordan Hansell, with 94 percent of NJASAP members participating in the vote. Last month, NJASAP filed for mediated negotiations with the National Mediation Board. The NMB approved the request and assigned a mediator, with the first round of mediated talks scheduled for today.

NetJets acknowledged that it is concluding the second year of bargaining with the pilot union. "While it is not unusual for negotiations in our industry to be lengthy and complicated, the pace of progress to date has been frustrating to us and our team members," a NetJets spokeswoman told AIN. "It’s not surprising in such circumstances that the union would see the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting as a chance to try to put pressure on the company by gaining publicity in front of the media and Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholders, many of whom are also NetJets owners. This sort of demonstration is a common tactic by unions during collective bargaining."

 

She added, "NetJets holds our pilots in the highest regard and [is] committed to good faith bargaining with our unions…contrary to the union’s rhetoric, there is nothing on the bargaining table that would undermine that position. We believe a reasonable contract can be attained without compromising our ability to generate a reasonable return to Berkshire Hathaway and deliver an unparalleled experience to our owners, and we will continue to pursue that goal in negotiations."