Chautauqua Airline doing the Freedom Air

[Randy Erb]

It seems that Chautauqua Airlines is going to do the Freedom Air number by starting up Republic Airways as a non union carrier. Right now the pilot group is still in negotiations for a new contract after a year without a new one. The obvious intent is to use Republic pilots as scabs if we go out on strike. The company will simply shift all Chautauqua runs to Republic, and if Republic pilots ever vote in a union, the reverse will happen. A nice deal for the company to keep the wages and benefits down. The cute part of the operation is that Chautauqua says that it will hire laid off USAirways pilots as crews for the new airline which will run the RJs for USAirways and the EMB170s as well. I hope that the same warm reception will be given to the Republic pilots that was given to the Freedom Air pilots.

 

[WileE]

Hopefully Freedom will be a lesson

Essentially Johnny O just lost the Freedom Fight completely. Despite trying his best to screw the pilot group (and he's a pro at this) in the not so long run he failed. Freedom is back to being a union carrier like it should have been. Hopefully that will be a lesson to other carriers and they won't try to do the same thing.

 

[RichardFitzwel9]

So is Freedom going to be operating under the same pilot contract as the rest of Mesa's pilots?

 

[SAABER]

So say the new Republic will use furloughed Airway's guys. Give them some credit before we use the old "s" word. Do you really think those guys will go for not being unionized if and when this new outfit gets up and running? Remember if they go under, God forbid, there goes about 35% of CHQ's flying.

 

[Beantown]

"Essentially Johnny O just lost the Freedom Fight completely. Despite trying his best to screw the pilot group (and he's a pro at this) in the not so long run he failed. Freedom is back to being a union carrier like it should have been. Hopefully that will be a lesson to other carriers and they won't try to do the same thing."
--------------------------------------

WileE, I think you are jumping the gun just a bit. If the TA passes, and that is a big IF, then what you are saying is correct. The fact is Freedumb is still non-union and if the TA fails then it will be for the distant future, -Bean

 

[WileE]

Don't think so.

Yes there isn't a contract yet, but there have been sections of the contract that have already been agreed on by both parties and are already going into effect. One is that Freedom pilots will be integrated back into the Mesa pilot list and all those positions will be opened to the rest of the Mesa pilots and the CCAir pilots. In fact this has already started. There is a class on Feb 5th for 28 pilots from the Mesa/CCAir list to fly as captains on the Freedom 700's. This has the blessing of the Union MEC's and is just the start. Those pilots should be flying their IOE by the end of Feb/early March and will replace the current Freedom pilots flying the line immediately.

Now, an issue that I'm not sure about is what happens to the Freedom pilots. Our pilot to pilot union reps are saying that as our pilots get trained up into the 700's, the guys currently on Freedom will get displaced out of their precious jets unless they are senior enough to hold it on the NEW seniority list. Most aren't going to be able to. Some might be able to hold the smaller jets, or stay on the 700's as FO's, but some will be bounced all the way back to the 1900's, along with almost all of the Freedom FO's. This will take a while since they can only train new folks on the 700 only so fast.

The next couple months are going to be very chaotic at Mesa.

 

[HAL9000]

"The next couple months are going to be very chaotic at Mesa."

So what else is new?

 

[Brother Francis]

AIN Online:

Regionals Update by Gregory Polek

PAST ISSUES REGIONAL UPDATE 2003
PAST ISSUES REGIONAL UPDATE 2002
PAST ISSUES REGIONAL UPDATE 2001

Judge Gives Green Light to US Airways-Republic Plan
Federal bankruptcy court judge Stephen Mitchell has approved US Airways’ plan to enter into a new operating agreement with Indianapolis-based Republic Airways that calls for the introduction of another 32 regional jets into the US Airways Express system. The ruling gives Republic the catalyst it needs to launch a new nonunionized operating unit separate from its Chautauqua Airlines subsidiary, established specifically to fly the new batch of jets.

Although an airline spokesman declined to comment on any plans for a new operating unit, a spokesman for the local US Airways chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association confirmed that Republic management planned to start the new operation some time during this year’s “second or third quarter.” The move bears a conspicuously close resemblance to Mesa Air Group’s plans for its own nonunion operating unit called Freedom Airlines. Both Mesa’s and Chautauqua’s pilot groups voted not to accept the controversial “Jets for Jobs” provision in US Airways’ collective-bargaining agreement with ALPA, developments that essentially blocked the affiliates from adding more regional jets to their US Airways Express fleets.

Jets for Jobs requires that the airlines staff at least half of their new RJ positions with furloughed US Airways pilots. Both Republic and Freedom could potentially participate in Jets for Jobs with their nonunionized units, allowing them to continue to expand their US Airways Express fleets. ALPA, however, has filed suit against Mesa in an attempt to block Freedom Airlines from opening. An ALPA spokesman added that the union does not condone Republic’s plan, despite the jobs it could produce for US Airways pilots. The Teamsters–the union that represents Chautauqua’s pilots–at press time had yet to publicly air its position on the matter.

 

[blott]

Here is some info that chq gave its pilot group...

Q. What is Republic Airlines?
A. Republic Airlines is a start up airline that will operate as US Airways Express.

Q. Why is Republic flying RJ’s for Airways?
A. Because it will adopt the Jets for Jobs [J4J] pilot hiring protocols.

Q. How many RJ’s will Republic operate?
A. Between 20 and 23 aircraft.

Q. Will Chautauqua get any more RJ’s for Airways?
A. Yes, between 9 and 12 additional aircraft.

Q. How can Chautauqua get more RJ’s with out complying with the J4J protocols?
A. Because Chautauqua’s J4J pilot hiring liability will be absorbed by Republic.

Q. Isn’t Republic an “alter-ego” carrier?
A. No. Republic will be a union carrier and it will comply with J4J.

Q. If there were no Republic would Chautauqua get all the new RJ’s?
A. No, if there were no Republic, there would be no new RJ’s for anyone.

Q. If Chautauqua pilots had accepted J4J would there still be a Republic?
A. No, it would not have been necessary.

Q. Is it too late for the Chautauqua pilots to reverse their decision on J4J?
A. Yes, because Republic has given Airways a lower cost deal than Chautauqua’s.

Q. Could Republic operate planes for any of our other code-share partners?
A. No. Chautauqua is the exclusive provider for AMR, AWA and DAL.

Q. Could Republic operate for a new code share partner?
A. Yes, if Airways consents.

Q. Are there any plans to expand Republic beyond Airways?
A. No.

Q. If Airways liquidates will there still be a Republic?
A. No, there would be no need since there would be no new RJ’s for Airways.

The company will be based in louisville. I think it will be headed by a us airways express top management guy, I don't remember his name.

Most pilots that I have talked to at chq have a bad feeling about this. This info has just been presented to us.

Please post your opinions to this new company here, we are trying to get the word out...

B

 

[buzzfly]

Yes, the 700 and 900 will fly under the MAG ALPA seniority list. Did JO lose? I think not. If the TA passes, Mesa will get J4J, all of the HP regional flying it wants and at a reasonable rate. The TA has a very slight pay raise for jet flying, no raise for turbo props, and the 700 and 900 rates that are very economical for Mesa shareholders.

I think our MEC and pilots are afraid of what could happen without a TA. It will be intersting to see what Mesa EPS growth rate will be if the TA passes. Fat contracts are a thing of the past and distant future.