Pinnacle Pilots Support Mesaba Pilots in Labor Unrest

BLOOMINGTON, MN – Pinnacle pilot union leaders publicly renewed their vow of support for Mesaba pilots today after the U.S. Bankruptcy Court decided to once again grant Mesaba management’s 1113(c) motion to reject their pilots’ collective bargaining agreement.

“Should the situation at Mesaba lead to a strike by their pilot group, the Pinnacle MEC will exercise any and all legal options available to us under the law and the Railway Labor Act to support our fellow pilots,” said Capt. Wakefield Gordon, head of the Pinnacle branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, which represents the Mesaba and Pinnacle pilots.

Pinnacle and Mesaba fly under the Northwest Airlink banner for Northwest Airlines. Pinnacle joins the pilots of Northwest Airlines in their support of their fellow Mesaba pilots.

“We appreciate the support and assistance of the pilots at Pinnacle Airlines. If Mesaba management is successful in gutting commercial airline pilot wages and work rules, these tactics will spread across our airline family and the industry,” said Capt. Tom Wychor, head of the ALPA unit at Mesaba. “Support from the Pinnacle pilots will help stop the abuse of bankruptcy laws to force professional labor into substandard, poverty-level wages and benefits."

Founded in 1931, ALPA celebrates its 75th anniversary this year representing 61,000 pilots, including 1,200 Pinnacle pilots, at 40 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org for more information.

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Contact: Kimberly Seitz, 703/609-1650