LATAM Pilots End Strike with New Collective Agreement Valid from 2025 to 2028

Original article: Termina la huelga en Latam: 464 pilotos acuerdan nuevo contrato colectivo vigente entre 2025 y 2028

The Pilots’ Union from LATAM Airlines (SPL) announced that they have reached an agreement with the airline, effectively ending an eight-day strike.

In total, 464 pilots, representing more than half of the professionals operating flights for the company in Chile, participated in this unprecedented mobilization that hasn’t occurred since 1997.

In an official statement, the union noted that with the support of the National Labor Directorate, the 464 active members of the LATAM Pilots’ Union (SPL) successfully negotiated the terms of the new collective agreement, which will be in effect from 2025 through 2028, marking the conclusion of the strike.

What Triggered the Strike?

The collective bargaining process initiated on September 1, and on November 3, 97% of union members rejected the company’s latest offer, leading to a five-day mandatory mediation process. After both parties failed to reach an agreement, the strike commenced on the 12th of this month and lasted for eight days.

It’s important to note that the trigger for this action was the failure of mediation at the Labor Directorate. The SPL accused LATAM management of «refusing to continue negotiations» by prematurely closing this process, which still had five days left for discussions.

«It is inexplicable that the company’s management led us to a strike that we have always considered avoidable, especially when comparing the profits gained by the company to the moderation of our labor demands,» stated Mario Troncoso, president of the SPL, announcing the commencement of the work stoppage.

The union called for the restoration of conditions that pilots had to significantly reduce due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

«The company never provided us with the figures upon which it based its economic proposal; it refused to honor its commitment to restore the conditions we temporarily reduced in 2020,» Troncoso remarked.

The union emphasized the moderation of their demands compared to the airline’s financial health, asserting that their requests «amount to less than 1%» of the $1.5 billion in profits that LATAM reportedly accumulated over the past 18 months.

End of the LATAM Strike

Upon announcing the end of the strike, SPL president Mario Troncoso expressed gratitude for the unity, trust, and bravery of their members, as well as to the Chilean and foreign unions that expressed their support and solidarity, and to the authorities of the Labor Directorate (DT) for their responsible and professional mediation throughout this process.

LATAM highlighted that signing the agreement allows for «the sustainability of the company and maintaining competitive working conditions for pilots.» They also thanked the DT for their «professionalism» during the voluntary mediation, as reported by Bio Bío Chile.

Meanwhile, LATAM’s Vice President of Customers, Paulo Miranda, referred to the «commitment of all teams who worked during these days to protect passengers,» and lamented the complications faced over the last eight days.

Flight Cancellations to Remain in Effect Until November 24

As a result of the pilots’ strike, the company was forced to make adjustments and reschedules for both its national and international operations following the suspension of flights.

At the onset of the stoppage, the airline committed to providing options for customers to facilitate rescheduling, which includes changing the date or flight at no cost, voluntary trip modifications without penalty, and full refunds for tickets and associated services.

After the strike concluded, LATAM announced that cancellations communicated to passengers up until Monday, November 24, «will remain in effect, and starting the 25th, operations will return to normal.» They clarified that any changes after this date will be communicated promptly to customers.