Rumors have been circulating that some (unidentified) Pinnacle pilots have said that if Colgan is merged with Pinnacle, the Pinnacle pilots would staple the Colgan pilots to the bottom of the Pinnacle pilots seniority list.
Here are the facts:
Here are the facts:
- Issues pertaining to an integrated seniority list would arise only in the event of a merger of the Colgan and Pinnacle operations. Management, not ALPA, decides whether to merge operations of the two companies. Management has publicly stated that it intends to operate Colgan and Pinnacle separately.
- If management should decide to merge the two operations, Colgan pilots would find the greatest protection for their interests by being members of ALPA and thereby covered by ALPA merger policy. Under ALPA merger policy, Colgan pilots would be entitled to participate in negotiations with Pinnacle pilots regarding integration of the two seniority lists. If agreement on an integrated list could not be reached through negotiations, the matter would be submitted to a neutral arbitrator, who would conduct a comprehensive hearing in which both pilot groups participate. Following the hearing, the arbitrator would decide how to integrate the two seniority lists in a fair and equitable manner.