Allegiant pilots hold 'practice pickets' at SRQ, PIE airports

A group of Allegiant Air pilots connected to a labor union demonstrated outside Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Wednesday, the day after a similar demonstration at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.

Both were “practice pickets” made by pilots who are members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, according to a statement from the labor union.

“A ‘practice picket’ sends a message to the carrier that the pilots are serious about getting a fair contract,” Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz says in an email. “It shows pilots are uniting and gathering publicly to demand the contract they deserve. It is a ‘practice picket’ in advance of a potential strike.”