Northwest Airlink and Delta Connection Pilots Protest Three Years without a New Contract at Memphis Shareholders Meeting

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -— The pilots of Pinnacle Airlines (Nasdaq: PNCL), as represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), will conduct informational picketing prior to the start of the 2008 Pinnacle Airlines Shareholders Meeting on Thursday, May 15. Pilots are protesting the glacial pace of their contract negotiations, now in their fourth year, and management’s refusal to recognize the pilots’ contributions to the success of the airline. The pilots are also launching a new website, www.pinnacle.alpa.org that details the pilots’ ordeal.

Why:

The Pinnacle pilots’ contract became amendable May 1, 2005. Pinnacle pilots are the only Pinnacle employee group that has not had a raise in more than four years. Pinnacle management is expanding the company (with its purchase of Colgan Air) without recognizing how the sacrifice and dedication of their pilots have assisted with Pinnacle’s bottom line. Pinnacle Airlines continues to grow and sign new Air Services Agreements with other carriers, while leaving their pilots near the bottom in pay and work rules compared to other regional carriers.

When:

Thursday, May 15, 2008 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Informational Picketing

Where:

Hilton Memphis Hotel 939 Ridge Lake Boulevard, Memphis

Background:

Pinnacle pilots and management have been negotiating for a new contract since February 2005. Pinnacle management made what was characterized as a “last and best offer� in December 2005, and has refused to earnestly participate in negotiations since that time. Pilots and management remain far apart on issues such as retirement, job security, and compensation. Both sides entered mediated negotiations in late September 2006. Pinnacle employs 1,244 pilots.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilots union and represents nearly 55,000 pilots at 40 airlines in the U.S. and Canada.