J4J/Mesa

Cisco

Member
Jan 1, 2003
44
0
www.usaviation.com
There was a TA signed late last night, the details of which are not yet completely known. However it is known that the deal includes finally bringing the CCAir pilots back to work, combining Freedom, Mesa, and AirMidwest, and also the J4J has been signed and will include 55 CRJ-700's in the USAirways colors....

To be continued
 
[P][SPAN class=t]Mesa Air Group Reaches Tentative Contract Agreement With Its Pilots[/SPAN][BR][SPAN class=tt]Wednesday January 22, 1:51 pm ET[/SPAN]
[P]
[DIV class=ar]PHOENIX, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mesa Air Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: [A href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=mesa&d=t"]MESA[/A] - [A href="http://biz.yahoo.com/n/m/mesa.html"]News[/A]) today announced it has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents the airline's 1,300 pilots. In addition, the parties have reached an agreement concerning participation in the US Airways "Jets for Jobs" regional jet expansion program.
[LI](Photo: [A href="http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990210/LAW065"]http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990210/LAW065[/A] )
[P]"We are delighted that we have reached an agreement with our pilots and can move forward with our growth plan," said Jonathan Ornstein, chairman and chief executive officer.
[P]The agreement is subject to ratification by ALPA membership. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.[/P][/LI][/DIV]
 
[P]In a related US Airways'' note, the airline last week set today (Tuesday) as a deadline for Mesa Air Group to put up or shut up in terms of their compliance with the US Airways'' Jets for Jobs program.[/P]
[P]In the letter, dated Jan. 16, from US Airways'' VP of corporate development, Bruce Ashby, to Mesa President Mike Lotz, Ashby details how US Airways had published flight schedules in January that included additional aircraft Mesa had been slated to fly for the airline. US Airways had anticipated three new aircraft flown by Mesa in January, and had also revised the January through March aircraft delivery schedule to January through May.[/P]
[P]On Thursday, Jan. 2, the letter says that Mesa CEO Jonathan Ornstein advised US Airways that Mesa would likely not be in compliance with the Jets for Jobs protocol for the flight schedule, which was slated to begin Jan. 5.[/P]
[P]There was a good reason for this. Management at Mesa did not, and still does not, as I write this, have an agreement with its pilots over the Jets for Jobs issue -- even though Mesa has known since last August that the Jets for Jobs protocol was a necessary part of the additional flying at US Airways it had been awarded.[/P]
[P]Per Ornstein''s comments on Jan. 2, US Airways agreed to continue to work with Mesa, while the airline continued in negotiations with its pilots over the Jets for Jobs issue.[/P]
[P]However, in last Thursday''s letter, Ashby basically advises Mesa that their time is up. Ashby tells Mesa that it has to provide US Airways written assurances no later than today, Jan. 21, that Mesa is going to comply with the Jets for Jobs protocol in regard to future additional aircraft deployment per their contract. If not, as the letter states, US Airways reserves all rights and remedies available to it.[BR][BR]This is from another website![/P]
 
It appears that all this may be a moot point if MESA is planning to fly for US Airways. Seems the U pilots plan to shut it all down.
 
Oldpropguy:

ALPA is very pragmatic and has taken two cuts. We have lost 46 percent of our wages and benefits with two retirement plan cuts.

We have lead the way during this restructuring process and it's unfair for the pilots to sacrifice again, without the other employee groups participating.

If the other employee groups voluntarily terminate their pension the airline could save nearly $1 billion between 2003 and 2009, meet the PBGC's guidelines, and qualify for the loan guarantee.

If this would occur, the airline could avoid liquidation and J4J could proceed at Mesa.

Why won't management or the other employee groups stand up and terminate their plan?

Chip
 
Wasn't the old mantra, "the pilots are paying for their own pension" and "none of the cuts you are making will go toward funding the pilots pension"?

Not gonna happen. Mine was frozen years ago.

INVOL
 
Chip,[BR][BR]Do you think ALPA is willing to agree for all employee groups to terminate their pensions? I'm sure the other groups will agree, if ALPA agrees to share on an equitable basis with all employee groups, all future restructured pension benefits which are negotiated. Maybe something like one big pension plan for all U employees.[BR] [BR]I ask again. What do you propose for plan "B," as it is now apparent that a legislative solution is not available? Do we work out something or just all quit and go home?
 
Oldpropguy:

Oldpropguy asked: I ask again. What do you propose for plan "B," as it is now apparent that a legislative solution is not available? Do we work out something or just all quit and go home?

Chip answers: Tomorrow the ALPA Retirement and Insurance Committee, Negotiating Committee, MEC officers and Communications Committee will be conducting an internal meeting with ALPA and MEC professional and legal advisors at the ALPA offices in Herndon. MEC Chairman Bill Pollock has scheduled the meeting to coordinate pension plan issues and MEC contingency strategies.

The ALPA retirement plan remains in place today and has not been terminated. We'll have to see what options are available, but the pressure is squarely on Siegel's shoulders to save the current plan or make the pilots whole.

Chip
 
W:EXCH:INVOL, the pilots would agree to have their pension frozen, but that's not an option.

However, maybe you should get your resume prepared.

Chip
 
There isn't a lot out about the Mesa Airlines TA. What is out so far is that Mesa will very soon be moving the CRJ-200's into the blue colors which were supposed to already be there by Jan. 1. Also Mesa Air Group under the Freedom Airlines certificate will begin to recieve the first of an initial order of 30 CRJ-700's for the J4J program and will likely also fill the "additional" 25 CRJ-700 aircraft orders allowed by LOA #83. Word is there will also be orders for additional CRJ-200's.

This TA also allows Mesa Air Group to move forward with negotiations with UAL for additional growth.

Lots in the works....... I guess those -700's which are still going to fly in the America West colors the the jets which are going to be in USAir blue are all OK now.

I wonder....... Will D.W. sign this new Mesa contract which includes CRJ-900's?

The very best part of this all is that the CCAir pilots who have gotten screwed by everyone throughout all of this will finally get to go to work!