Includes Pay Bump... But Vote Was Close
After years of working under a contract that paid wages and
benefits near the very bottom of the industry scale, on Wednesday
pilots at Mesa Air Group ratified a new agreement that contains
numerous industry-standard and industry-leading provisions.
The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents pilots at
Mesa, celebrated the victory... while also noting the pilot group
was split nearly even on their support for the deal. The union says
that indicates "much work still needs to be done by the company to
provide the necessary benefits and stability for Mesa and its
codeshare partners, investors, and passengers."
"This new agreement represents a step forward for all Mesa
pilots," said Capt. Kevin Wilson, chairman of the ALPA unit at
Mesa. "No concessions were made for this contract, which is no
small feat, given the state of our company and the industry. Thanks
to our negotiators and the support of ALPA, we were able to achieve
significant quality of life and other improvements at or above
industry average."
The Mesa pilots' contract became amendable in September 2007.
Facing an industry in crisis due to a slowing economy and
skyrocketing fuel prices, the Mesa Master Executive Council (MEC),
which is the governing body of the Mesa pilot group, pursued an
expedited process for a short-term agreement that would
significantly improve the lives of their pilots, attract and retain
professional pilots, and place the Mesa pilots at the forefront of
the next bargaining cycle.
After 10 months of negotiations, the Negotiating Committee
reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the company. On October 2,
the MEC approved this TA to go to the membership for ratification,
and the vote closed Wednesday with nearly 77 percent of eligible
pilots voting on the deal.
Of the votes cast, 51 percent of pilots voted in favor of the
agreement.
"Many pilots
voiced their distrust in the company during the road shows and
expressed their lack of faith in the company's desire to abide by
any agreement," added Wilson. "Trust is an integral part of any
agreement, and we have communicated our pilots' concerns to the
company. While changes are taking place, the outcome of this vote
is a clear indication that there is still much work to be
done."
ALPA says the new collective bargaining agreement will provide
Mesa pilots with immediate scheduling and quality-of-life
improvements, including a true definition of scheduled or actual
flying time and the implementation of a Preferential Bidding System
(PBS) that will allow the pilots to have more control over their
schedules.
The pilots will return to the bargaining table in 21 months to
work toward more improvements... with what they hope will be a
healthier company in a more stable industry.