Mesaba losing the Avros (?)

[Mesabi Miner]

Monster, you don't say much young man but when you do you're to the point and I solute you for it! (Name the movie!)

Actually, I hope you're right. Still looking for my piss on NWA sticker though.

MM

 

[Whyzitsokold]

If we get furloughed from XJ, Does this void our training contract? What if we get called back, does our contract continue? Do we still have to pay for our uniforms if we get the boot?

One more note, I would like to get one of those Calvin pissin on a NW sticker! Ha!

 

[RampTower]

Spanjers' so called "surprise" is not a surprise. The NWA, XJ and Pinnacle BODs(a.k.a. Red Tail good ol' boys club) knows exactly what is going on. Dont' let all this smoke and mirrors, magic, illusion, union busting get to you. The Avros or some new "70ish" seater will be flying.

 

[U of I Tweak]

Easy there

I assure you if someone's lights are about to go out, there yours.

I was simply quoting the line out of Backdraft....I was in no way trying to make a snide remark about Mesaba and the possible loss of Avros. I am an XJ employee and don't want to see anyone get screwed.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

judging from the "note" from management up on the wall from mesaba management in ops today... we were betting on how long it takes for one of those to appear in our operations department. definitely disconcerting what's going on.

 

[dbrownie]

Spanjers' so called "surprise" is not a surprise. The NWA, XJ and Pinnacle BODs(a.k.a. Red Tail good ol' boys club) knows exactly what is going on. Dont' let all this smoke and mirrors, magic, illusion, union busting get to you. The Avros or some new "70ish" seater will be flying.

Ramp Tower;

After rethinking my original guess, I agree with your position.

I think the Avros will stay at Mesaba and it will have 85 seats.

Think about it would NWA spend this time and money to "grind down" your employees and the leasing co's?

YOU BET!!

Just watch the next line "We might be able to keep them if only the pilots or the judge will let us have 85 seats and only at the original pay rates".

These guys are getting more and more predictable. Divide and concour. It is their only playbook.

I am just a line guy with no inside gouge other than 9 years of watching them beat up their employees.

NWA needs Mesaba intact. I hope I am right. I do not want to see any more greed induced suffering.

Dave B

 

[Mysteryofflight]

ok ok I have the final numbers here. NWA is looking to outsource it's pilots and dispatch to India however, Avro means fatted calf in their language so instead they will operate the CRJ700 for 5.75/hr.

"Floyd is it? Yes I am calling to drop a trip"

 

[CubanSmoker]

"Floyd is it? Yes I am calling to drop a trip"

Did you know Mesaba Airlines is a great place to work? Bid a month of reserve and see for yourself.....

Terminate all leases by Dec 20th? 5 days before Christmas? Yeah, that's a good time to stop flying them. Not much air travel that time of the year and the ski season is really slow in Aspen.

Imagine the CVG boys and girls that just did a collective "Oh $hit" Friday night. I sure hope the leases get renewed - I don't want to re-learn how to set my own thrust and land an airplane again.

This will be an interesting 3 months.

 

[Chris9702l]

Management playbook

This ploy comes right out of NW managements playbook. They pulled this crap right before our final contract negotiations. I'm wondering if they renegotiated the leases back then too? Anyone remember?

I agree with DBrownie. If you have been here long enough you know it's just another management ploy. After we have signed our contract I thought our days as wipping boy would be over for a couple of years. Guess I was wrong.

 

[RampTower]

I would like to add... when NWA "missed" it's 19 mill payment to Mesaba and our CEO comes out acting all surprised and defensive like "We're gonna go knock on their doors and ask for our money!"... just an act. You don't just miss a payment like that, but Mesaba knew about it well in advance. When NWA makes this "surprise" announcement that they want to pull the plug on the Avros, same deal.

Just because Mesaba is not a wholly owned subsidiary of NWA, we basically are owned by them. MAIR BODs and insiders are nearly all NWA execs. The Pohlad family has a huge stake in us, and that family basically owns Minnesota. Don't think for one second that we are a separate company. On paper we are, but look at our ASA. Look at our operating history, completely dependent on NWA. What percentage of shares does NWA hold? 30-35% Why haven't/can't we go find other flying elsewhere?

This Avro ploy is just like late 2003 when they threatened to dump em when the XJ pilots were in negotiations. Now they most likely want some pay cut or freeze for an 85 seat Avro or the CRJ700 or -900. I would guess that NWA management will politely propose to the NWA pilot group, first, on 70+ seat flying (after the NY judge relaxes the scope). And not to anyone's surprise, they will turn down the substandard payrates. Then they'll come to Mesaba pilots and our new VP Ed Davidson will sugarcoat the whole thing in ground school classes and give you his "P3" speech and blah blah blah. Some people will buy it, most won't. Interesting times.