Right-to-Work & At-Will Employment Under the RLA

What Local 109 Pilots Should Know

Right-to-work laws and at-will employment do not apply to Air Methods pilots.

Because you are covered by the Railway Labor Act (RLA), your rights and employment status are very different from those of most workers.

Right-to-Work Does Not Apply

Even if you live or work in a “right-to-work” state, those laws do not apply under the RLA.
The RLA allows unions and employers to negotiate union-security agreements, which means:

Pilots must become union members or agency fee payers after hiring.
Right-to-work state laws do not override the CBA.

Pilots still have the option to become Beck objectors and pay only representational costs, but right-to-work exemptions do not exist under the RLA.

You Are Not an At-Will Employee

Pilots at Air Methods are not at-will employees.
Your employment is governed by the RLA and the Local 109 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which provides:

A just-cause standard for any discipline or termination
The right to union representation in meetings that may lead to discipline
A structured grievance and arbitration process
The ability to challenge unfair discipline and be reinstated if the Company acted improperly

These protections replace at-will employment entirely.

In Short

Right-to-Work laws do not apply to RLA-covered employees.
You cannot be fired “at will.”
Local 109 pilots have strong federal and contractual protections that guarantee fairness, due process, and representation at every stage.

“Right to work” is the name for a policy designed to take away rights from working people. Backers of right to work laws claim that these laws protect workers against being forced to join a union. The reality is that federal law already makes it illegal to force someone to join a union.

The real purpose of right to work laws is to tilt the balance toward big corporations and further rig the system at the expense of working families. These laws make it harder for working people to form unions and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions.
AFL-CIO