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The IAM Union has announced the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement with Leidos covering Flight Service workers in Ashburn, Va., and Fort Worth, Texas. The three-year agreement provides significant wage increases, a ratification bonus, improved workplace protections, and enhanced benefits for union members. IAM Locals 2010 and 2011 members furnish several services to private pilots and commuters before and during flights.
During preflight planning, they provide individual briefings on current and forecast weather conditions and aeronautical hazards tailored to each flight route. Members file VFR flight plans for search and rescue protection, border crossing requirements, and IFR flight plans for air traffic control (ATC) clearances, routing, and separation.
The agreement was fully recommended for ratification by the IAM bargaining committee, ensuring wages keep pace with inflation while protecting staffing levels and job security.
“This agreement reflects the voices and priorities of our members,” said Chief Steward Clay Dawson of the DCA Hub in Ashburn. “By listening to our members and negotiating collectively, we were able to secure stronger wages, improved benefits, and protections that help guarantee job security for the next three years.”
The tentative agreement delivers a range of economic gains for IAM members working in Leidos’ Flight Service operations.
Key highlights include:
The tentative agreement also strengthens benefits and workplace flexibility for members.
New provisions include:
“It was truly an honor to represent this membership at the negotiating table. said Denise Heath, Chief Spokesperson and Special Assistant to the International President, “This committee made sure the voice of the membership was heard, and what they achieved reflects the strength of two Flight Service locals working together for all their members. Our strength has always been, and will always be, our unity.” “I want to thank the negotiating committee for their hard work,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Bobby Barnwell. “Their dedication over the past months was powerful.”
A key priority during negotiations was protecting jobs and preventing staffing reductions tied to unrealistic performance metrics. The agreement also modifies the call-handling metric governing preflight briefings to a more realistic level for members.
“This adjustment prevents management from using overly aggressive performance metrics as a justification to reduce staffing,” said IAM Local 2011 President David Villa. “It ensures our members can provide quality service while maintaining stable employment.”
The negotiations were marked by strong collaboration between members of IAM Local 2011 in Fort Worth and IAM Local 2010 in Ashburn.
Villa noted that the two locals worked closely during the bargaining process, sharing information and preparing strategies together to address both shared and location-specific concerns.
“This contract was built on solidarity,” said Villa. “Our locals worked side by side to make sure the final agreement protects benefits, secures future raises, and strengthens the foundation for our members’ careers.”
The contract now approved will give three years of economic growth, workplace stability, and strengthened benefits for Flight Service workers supporting aviation operations at Leidos facilities in Virginia and Texas.
