Freedom assumptions
The Freedom certificate, as well as the CC Air certificate, is still alive and well. I've heard (rumor, maybe true) that Mesa has acquired about 6 CRJ's in the past month (new 700's, used 200's), and is putting them all on the Freedom certificate. Furthermore, all new CRJ crews are being trained on the Freedom certificate. These would include Mesa guys who may or may not have voted for the new Mesa pilot contract as well as former CC Air guys.
So, for MESA guys (or someone else informed): is there any economic reason for YV managment to use the Freedom certificate for CRJ ops instead of the Mesa one?
For all others, realize that the jet may say 'Freedom' on it, the pilot's ID may say 'Freedom' on it, and he may use the Freedom callsign (which is what?), but the pilot could be a former CC Air capt., a guy who didn't even vote on the new Mesa contract, a guy who has lost his job protecting 'the bar' for your pilot group(not just struck or was furloughed, no, HE LOST HIS JOB and his retirement package), a guy who might have more PIC time than your whole crew's TT combined b/c he's been flying airlines since before you graduated from highschool (CC Air guys were pretty senior, on average). Many of the new Freedom guys are the guys who have been through hell and back and they deserve your respect, not your flippant uniformed 'tude.
Go get yourself a Freedom 'scab-list'. Soon, that will be the only way to tell who's who at Freedom anymore. Some of them are not worth your time (original Freedom guys, the list), some are guilty only of signing a contract that could have been better (former Mesa and Air Midwest guys), and some lost everything in a vain effort to protect your hide (CC Air).
Don't assume what you don't know.