LUXURY JET OPERATOR FACES LEGAL CHALLENGE OVER PILOT SPEECH RESTRICTIONS

Federal court complaint alleges violation of workplace communication rights

On April 25, 2023, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) took legal action against NetJets in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The complaint centers on management’s effort to restrict pilots from directing aircraft owners to union resources during customer conversations.

The dispute escalated when NetJets leadership moved to discipline pilots for mentioning the union’s information portal to customers inquiring about ongoing contract negotiations. In early March, NetJets Chief Operating Officer Alan Bobo distributed a directive to pilots warning against such communications, marking the company’s attempt to limit workplace speech on union-related matters.

The Core Issue: Customer Questions Meet Communication Restrictions

According to NJASAP leadership, the prohibition extends beyond internal communication. Pilots naturally encounter questions from the aircraft owners and clients they serve daily—including inquiries about labor negotiations and industry conditions. The union contends that directing these individuals to educational resources about pilot compensation comparisons, workforce shortages, and negotiation status represents a legitimate and professional response.

When union representatives sought clarification on how pilots should handle such customer inquiries, NetJets management declined to modify its policy. This refusal became central to the legal complaint, which argues the communication ban violates established federal labor protections.

“The aircraft owners and customers we fly engage our pilots in conversations every day, including about their jobs and a wide variety of other topics,” explained NJASAP President Capt. Pedro Leroux. “We believe NetJets’ discriminatory ban on union-related speech is unprofessional and illegal.”

Management’s Counter-Message Campaign

While enforcing restrictions on pilot-to-customer communication about the union, NetJets President of Sales, Marketing and Service Patrick Gallagher issued a separate company-wide message on April 19. His email dismissed the pilot union’s leadership as disconnected from membership interests, and characterized union safety advocacy as strategic timing rather than genuine concern.

This messaging coincided with the same day that over 350 NetJets pilots conducted an informational demonstration at the company’s Columbus, Ohio headquarters, intensifying the visible labor dispute.

Legal Framework and Union Response

NJASAP’s complaint characterizes management’s allegations as false and reckless, arguing they constitute a campaign to weaken union leadership contrary to the Railway Labor Act. The union frames the dispute not merely as a negotiation disagreement but as a matter of federally protected worker rights.

“NJASAP stands ready to resolve our disputes with NetJets in the best interest of pilots, the company we work for and the people who depend on us for world class safety and service,” Leroux stated. “What we will not stand for is an attack on our members’ workplace speech rights or their federally protected right to elect union leaders without management interference.”

The case involves approximately 3,000 pilots employed by the NetJets subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A), one of the aviation industry’s largest fractional ownership operators. The proceeding highlights ongoing tensions between labor organizations and management across the aviation sector regarding communication rights during contract disputes.