After 10 months of negotiation, Mesa Air Group and its pilots have reached a tentative contract agreement. The Mesa pilots’ contract became amendable in September 2007. The pilots' union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), says that this agreement, if ratified by pilots, will resolve many of the scheduling-related issues between Mesa and the pilot group, as well as provide tangible benefits to both parties and their codeshare partners, investors and passengers."Our employees are the cornerstone of our business," said Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa Air Group Chairman and CEO. "The pilots of Mesa are consummate professionals; they continue to go above and beyond to ensure that our operations run as smoothly as possible seven days a week, 365 days a year. We are proud to have come to a mutually-beneficial agreement with the pilot leadership that will help retain and attract the highest caliber of professional airline pilots for years to come. This tentative agreement represents a commitment by the company and the pilot group to work together and continue to get the job done for our partners, investors and passengers."
"This contract represents a new beginning for our pilots and our company," said Captain Kevin Wilson, chairman of the ALPA unit at Mesa. "To be a successful, viable company in today’s challenging marketplace, we recognized that we must put aside our differences and develop real-world solutions benefiting both the pilots and the company. We are pleased with management’s willingness to engage with us in earnest discussions throughout the negotiations process, and we hope that this spirit of cooperation continues so that we can focus on building a better airline together."
ALPA pilot leaders will soon begin a series of "roadshows" to inform the pilot group on details of the Tentative Agreement (TA) and address any pilot questions. It’s then up to the rank-and-file pilots to vote on whether or not this TA becomes the next collective bargaining agreement. The union plans to commence membership balloting mid-November with results expected by the end of that month.
