Mesa, Pilots Reach Contract

Even as Mesa Air Group, Inc. prepares to lay off numerous employees in a downsizing that reflects the loss of its Delta Connection contract with Freedom, it was able to reach a tentative agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA) after only 10 months of negotiations. This agreement, if ratified, 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 code share partners, investors and passengers, said ALPA representatives.
The Mesa pilots' contract became amendable in September 2007. Facing an industry in crisis with a slowing economy and skyrocketing fuel prices, company management and the pilot leadership decided to commence an expedited negotiation process, said pilots, which add the unconventional bargaining method resulted in a short-term agreement. That agreement included scheduling and quality of life improvements, including more days off, a true definition of scheduled or actual, and implementation of a Preferential Bidding System (PBS) that will allow the pilots to have more control over their schedules.