Alaska Airlines Military Paid Leave $4.75M Settlement

If you are or were a pilot at Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air and took short-term military leave for 30 days or fewer between October 10, 2004, and May 31, 2023, you may be eligible to claim compensation from a class action settlement.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have agreed to pay $4.75 million to settle a class action lawsuit for allegedly failing to provide paid leave to employees who took short-term military leave, while offering paid leave for other comparable forms of leave.

Who Are the Class Members?

The class members include current and former permanent pilot employees of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air (a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines) who took short-term military leave (periods of 30 consecutive days or fewer) from October 10, 2004, through May 31, 2023.

Approximately 600 class members have been identified based on data from the defendants.

There are about 630 Horizon pilots from 2004 to 2008 who may be class members but need to submit a claim form to receive credit for short-term military leave taken during that period.

If you received this notice in the mail or by email and it included an individualized estimate of your settlement award, you are identified as a class member.

How much are the payouts?

The settlement fund of $4.75 million will be distributed to class members after deducting any court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, as well as any service awards to the class representatives.

• Compensation Calculation: The net settlement amount will compensate class members for the failure to provide paid leave during short-term military leave. The distribution will follow a court-approved plan of allocation.
• Horizon Pilots (2004-2008): Need to submit a claim form to receive credit for short-term military leave taken during that period.

The settlement fund will be distributed based on the data available to class counsel. If the award amount is subject to a net settlement fund calculation, the distribution will be adjusted accordingly.

How to claim compensation

If you have already been identified as a class member, you do not need to take any action to receive your settlement award. The payment will be processed based on the data available to class counsel.

For Horizon pilots from 2004 to 2008, you must submit a claim form to receive credit for short-term military leave taken during that period.

Settlement fund expenses

• Attorneys' Fees: Class counsel will request fees not exceeding one-third of the settlement fund, plus expenses.
• Service Awards: Proposed at $15,000 for Casey Clarkson and $5,000 each for Ryan Schwend, Scott Silvester, and Matt Fisk.
• Settlement Admioistration: TBD

Important Dates

• Fairness Hearing: January 15, 2025
• Deadline to File a Claim: December 20, 2024

When is the Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Payout Date?

The court will hold a final approval hearing on January 15, 2025, to determine the fairness of the settlement. If approved, the settlement will be implemented, and payments will be distributed to eligible class members.

Why Was There a Class Action Settlement?

The lawsuit alleges that Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by not providing paid leave for short-term military service while offering paid leave for other types of leave. The defendants deny these allegations but agreed to settle to avoid further litigation costs and risks.