Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) today announces that flight attendants represented by the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) have voted to ratify their first collective bargaining agreement with the company.

"Having the first contract agreement with our flight attendants is an important milestone," said Maury Gallagher, Allegiant chairman and chief executive officer. "We thank the National Mediation Board and all parties involved for their dedicated efforts to bringing forward a contract that supports our team members, keeps us highly competitive across the industry, and enables future growth."

"Our community of flight attendants is at the heart of our operations every day, and their patience through the process of getting to this agreement is most appreciated," said Tracy Tulle, Allegiant vice president, inflight services. "With this contract in place, we look forward to a bright future working together on behalf of our passengers."

The contract is effective today for a five-year term. Allegiant currently employs 1,150 flight attendants.

The process of negotiating a first collective bargaining agreement for Allegiant flight attendants began in 2011. The Transport Workers Union was most recently certified as the group's exclusive representative on February 26, 2016. An initial tentative agreement reached between the parties failed to ratify in September 2016, and negotiations continued under the supervision of the National Mediation Board to reach the agreement ratified today.