A pilot has filed a lawsuit against his union, alleging discrimination and retaliation for his religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Joseph John Oka filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 19, 2024, targeting the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA).
Oka's complaint details a series of discriminatory actions taken by ALPA against him and other pilots who sought religious exemptions from United Airlines' COVID-19 vaccine mandate. According to Oka, ALPA failed to support him when he sought an exemption based on his Christian beliefs, which prohibit him from taking vaccines developed using cell lines derived from aborted fetuses. Instead of providing assistance, ALPA allegedly collaborated with United Airlines to enforce punitive measures against unvaccinated pilots.
The complaint outlines how ALPA assured its members that their rights would be protected but then negotiated agreements that discriminated against those seeking religious exemptions. One such agreement was Letter of Agreement (LOA) 21-02, which incentivized vaccination and imposed penalties on unvaccinated pilots. Oka claims this agreement disproportionately affected religious objectors and was designed to pressure employees into getting vaccinated.
Oka also alleges that after he was placed on unpaid leave due to his refusal to get vaccinated, ALPA continued to show animus towards religiously exempted pilots through derogatory remarks and dismissive attitudes. He cites several instances where union leaders mocked or derided pilots' religious convictions. For example, during an October 2021 grievance training seminar, ALPA Chairman Todd Insler reportedly made snarky comments about pilots who sought religious exemptions.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court, including injunctive and declaratory relief, compensatory damages, punitive damages, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. He argues that ALPA's actions violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against him based on his religion and retaliating against him for exercising his religious freedoms.
Representing Oka are attorneys Sorin A. Leahu from Leahu Law Group LLC in Chicago and Robert E. Barnes along with Lexis Anderson from Barnes Law in Los Angeles. The case has been assigned Case ID 1:24-cv-08670.