SkyWest isn’t a top player in national air travel, but it’s one of the three biggest airline operations at the Seattle and Boise airports. The company says 89% of its employees are represented by “in-house labor associations.” But critics, including outside unions, allege the company is operating fake unions that don’t offer the power or protection of a genuine labor union.
In July 2024, the Biden administration Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against SkyWest alleging that Skywest’s in-house pilot association violated federal law by not holding elections as frequently as required, mischaracterized itself in an attempt to avoid election requirements, improperly disqualified candidates in a recent election, and didn’t properly notify members of elections. The lawsuit continues under Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Trump appointee.
Customers may not always know they’ve booked with SkyWest. A regional airline, it flies for Delta, Alaska, American, and United. Flights listed for those airlines may say “operated by SkyWest.”
