Mesaba's actions against furloughed pilots

[FedEx1]

SOME training contracts ARE legal. Some are not. It depends on the writing. However, I would seriously doubt that you are obligated to pay if you were furloughed. If you left voluntarily, even because you were going to be furloughed, then you might be on the hook.

However...

Training contracts in general: Many companies won't go after you at all. Some will, with some threats. And some will give your "bill" to a third party to try to get payment. Keep in mind, they can't report you to a credit bureau unless they have sued you in court and you don't pay.

Many companies, or the third party, will take a payment plan. They will also possibly take a partial payment and have that be the end. If they agree to this, be sure to get in in writing before you write out the check. There is some special legal wording that needs to be in writing before everyone signs (make sure they sign first), so check with an attorney.

It would be very easy to justify paying less than the amount they want- you might be able to prove it didn't cost them that amount, or that you did work for x many months and gave back to the company. Or, say in the case that they typed you in their aircraft, offer the street value of someone walking up and getting that same type at Flight Safety or something. The point is, it is negociable.

Best thing to do is to call an attorney and get some real legal advice. This is a small industry- you don't want to leave on bad standing, you don't want your old company calling your new one and telling them you owe $$, and you never know where those people will end up in the future- maybe at the airline you are trying to get on at.

 

[N590MA]

I believe it is both the future furloughees and the people that were furloughed while in new hire ground, that the company is trying to keep on the hook for the cost.

Either way, I say don't pass up a better oppurtunity and make them come after you for the money. As screwed up as our management is I doubt they would ever do anything more than send a threatening letter.

 

[W&BWiz]

Funny thing is, we are talking about FO's. You can't get blood from a turnip.

 

[propjob27]

The deal is: A pilot sees his name on the Jan 10th furlough list and has another job which starts on Jan 1. Mgmt's position is they would be "quitting" their job at Mesaba to take on another job that begins before the official furlough date.

If this is correct, then you could avoid the issue by not quitting until Jan 10th.

Still, even if screwed_again has it right, that's still shi t-bag treatment of employees by management.

Mesaba should take a lesson from ATA when it comes to training contracts and a bankrupt airline. ATA had the decency and respect of waving all training contracts the day the company declared chapter 11. ATA's statement to us was, 'we didn't fulfill our end of the bargin by providing you with stable employment, so you don't have to honor the training contract.' So it didn't matter if you furloughed or going to be furloughed. They said go out there and get jobs and we were not responsible for the training contract since the company couldn't run a successful airline.

I hope no FOs, even those who quit prior to their furlough date, even think about paying one penny to Mesaba.

 

[5ontheglide]

I am inclined to believe screwedagain... although I havn't heard the official word yet. However, if for some reason I were furloughed (mandatory), and I was actually sued by XJ - I believe that would be enough for me to take the gloves off and counter sue for my salary until my year was up. The training contract not only states my responsibility to the company, but also rather implicitly their agreement to provide employment based upon agreed terms. That's just my opinion.

 

[TinGoose1]

Write a letter on these boards to your management. Start a new thread with a direct header. I would bet money that your management reads these boards.

-TG

 

[Ralgha]

Write a letter on these boards to your management. Start a new thread with a direct header. I would bet money that your management reads these boards.

-TG

Like management cares what a bunch of bitter pilots post on an anonymous internet forum that gets negligible traffic from anyone outside the industry.

If you want your letter to have any chance at any kind of effect, then you need to get it in a widespread newspaper.

 

[Dufus1]

Hey Ralgha, did you hear about the fake NWA news release posted on here that prompted the top buffoon at Mesaba to call NWA and also sent a letter to emplyees regarding it?

 

[Ralgha]

Did you hear that United is replacing all 737s, 757s, and 767s with 787s and first year FO pay will be $100 per duty hour?

Actually that message was copied to a company forum, which is probably where management saw it and started to care.