WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Department of Justice (DOJ) today cleared the way for the merger between Alaska Airlines and Virgin America. Following the DOJ’s announcement, Alaska Airlines immediately recognized the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) as the representative of more than 3,500 Reservations, Office and Clerical, Passenger Service, Fleet Service and Stores employees at the combined carrier.

“We are proud to welcome our new members from Virgin America into our IAM family,” said General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “We look forward to starting discussions with Alaska so that all IAM members at the carrier are treated equally and fairly under the same contract.”

The IAM will also initiate the seniority integration process based on the union’s longstanding and legally tested policy of date of entry into the work classification.

The merger, originally announced in April, will add more than 600 new members to the IAM and will allow Seattle-based Alaska to expand into profitable hubs such as San Francisco and Los Angeles and make it the fifth largest U.S. airline.

The IAM is the world’s largest airline union representing over 100,000 workers.

More information on the Alaska Airlines/Virgin America merger at www.iamvirginalaska.com.