Ultimately, the System Board of Adjustment held that Alaska Airlines lacked just cause to terminate Chappell, stating that “his theoretical belief that he may have accidentally ingested marijuana was not specifically presented.”
The Legal Skies Ahead
Alaska Airlines, invoking the Railway Labor Act, now seeks to vacate the arbitration award. This lawsuit adds an element of suspense to the ongoing negotiations for a successive collective bargaining agreement between the union and the airline.
As of the latest updates, both parties involved have yet to respond to inquiries seeking their comments on this legal turbulence. Alaska Airlines is represented in this legal skirmish by Joe Wonderly of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, while counsel information for the union remains undisclosed.
Stay tuned as this legal battle unfolds, with the future of an Alaska Airlines worker hanging in the balance.
