Work Stoppage Would Affect 600 Daily Northwest Airlines Flights

Pilots at Mesaba Airlines, the nation's seventh largest regional carrier, have opened a "strike operations center" in Minneapolis in preparation for a possible strike against the Eagan, Minn.-based airline.

Represented by the Air Lines Pilots Association (ALPA), the pilots have been negotiating with the airline since June 2001, and the contract became amendable in June 2002. That agreement had been negotiated in 1996 and was extended for two years by concessionary amendments that allowed Mesaba to grow. Mesaba management indicated that a strike deadline would be necessary to pressure the carrier into contract talks. A strike would impact about 600 daily departures for Northwest Airlines [Nasdaq: NWAC].

"Mesaba pilots want a contract, not a strike," said Kris Pierson, pilot spokesman for the Mesaba unit of ALPA. "However, we are prepared to strike to attain the contract goals of this pilot group."

In October, 98 percent of the pilots voted to authorize a strike should union leaders call for a work stoppage (CRAN, Nov. 3).

Management at the Northwest Airlink partner have requested a release from federally mediated talks if no meaningful progress is made in negotiations. The union and management negotiators were scheduled to meet for three days this week to try and reach agreement.

The Mesaba pilots' request is similar to the plea ALPA made to National Mediation Board officials in August to be released from mediation. The release would result in a 30-day cooling off period before pilots could strike. The board has not yet made a formal response to either request.

"Almost 900 days have elapsed since we began negotiations and we are, and have been, at an impasse," said Capt. Tom Wychor, chairman of the Mesaba ALPA unit. "One half of our pilot group earns less than $35,000 a year, with starting salaries less than $17,000. This is far less than pilots at other regional airlines who have less experience and seniority."

Mesaba spokesman Dave Jackson said the airline is "eager to bring the negotiation process to a conclusion without a work stoppage. We expect [the] negotiations in Minneapolis to be productive."

Mesaba is in a difficult situation even without a strike threat. It leases planes from Northwest, which recently decided not to update Mesaba's fleet, and gave all its newly leased Canadair regional jets (CRJs) to Northwest subsidiary Memphis-based Pinnacle Airlines. In addition, Northwest recently announced that it might end its contract providing Mesaba with 36 Avro RJ-85 planes, a decision that could wipe out 40 percent of Mesaba's traffic (CRAN, Oct. 13).

Mesaba serves 114 cities in 30 states and Canada from Northwest's three major hubs: Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Memphis. Mesaba employs 844 airline pilots who operate a fleet of 103 regional jet and jet-prop aircraft.

>>Contact: Dave Jackson, Mesaba, 612-713-6409; John Mazor, ALPA, 703-481-4440.<<