Strike on HOLD

[Wanderer]

Be a crying shame if all Mesaba's airplanes started having MX difficulties at the outstation.

Let the CHAOS begin!

WHAT planes at outstations?

 

[jetset]

If I'm not mistaken, isn't Mesaba management already starting to lose it's 2 million dollars a day because of the cancelled flights? Whether the pilots are carrying the signs or waiting to, one thing is for sure, Mesaba Airlines is not operating right now. So although the deadline has passed, the management team is still paying a price. Just a thought.

 

[T-handle]

"If I'm not mistaken, isn't Mesaba management already starting to lose it's 2 million dollars a day because of the cancelled flights? Whether the pilots are carrying the signs or waiting to, one thing is for sure, Mesaba Airlines is not operating right now. So although the deadline has passed, the management team is still paying a price. Just a thought."

We are NOT on strike at this moment. the only flights cancelled were the overnights from last night. Airplanes are up and running at this hour. Everyone is still holding their breath.... and impatiently running out of oxygen. We should know something in the next hours. Then again we said that about 11 hours ago....

 

[jetset]

Oops, sorry about that. I was wrong. Well, either way, I'll bet that Spanjers character looks like hell right now anyway!

 

[CWASaab]

I just got a call from crew scheduling, apparently all flights today are cancelled and those of us that were supposed to be at work are time available during our scheduled duty periods.

This is what I was told minutes ago however, if you are supposed to work today better hear this from CSO yourself.

So strike or no strike we are having an impact on the company. In fact, this is an even greater financial impact since they cannot furlough FAs and MX at this point.

Hold the line, check the VARS and remember: the goal is fair contract that we can be proud of.

CWASaab

 

[FlyComAirJets]

Yes and no, T-Handle, heard a lot of Mesaba planes with "maintenance" call signs in CVG and MSP last night but some flights are supposed to still be operating according to Mesaba ALPA VARS.

I would be very wary of management's latest offer. After all, how many years have you been negotiating only to have this offer to be purposely presented at the witching hour? Perhaps this was their plan to deflect your fine efforts.

Best wishes.

 

[Wanderer]

We are NOT on strike at this moment. the only flights cancelled were the overnights from last night. Airplanes are up and running at this hour. Everyone is still holding their breath.... and impatiently running out of oxygen. We should know something in the next hours. Then again we said that about 11 hours ago....

No flights for Mesaba today. So, yes, Mesaba is losing money today...and tomorrow (I doubt the will reposition and cancel the first outbounds for tomorrow morning).

 

[Wanderer]

So strike or no strike we are having an impact on the company. In fact, this is an even greater financial impact since they cannot furlough FAs and MX at this point.

good point...same thing with the ground ops staff.

 

[T-handle]

After being pissed for several hours after the deadline I calmed down and slept on it. I have concluded, perhaps this is a tactic to keep management guessing. If it is, intentionally or not, it's working I suppose. It's like a President declaring war and but not rolling when everyone expects it. Or we're already at conflict without an official declaration of war and not a single shot fired yet. The other side is nervously watching from their foxholes and are confused why there are no troops are running over the hills.

This TA better be the one or I'll be the first one over the hill waving my sword and not looking back. People will be talking about this one for a while: negotiating nearly 12 hours past the deadline.

Ok this sounds corny but I got sh!t for sleep last night. Did any other Mesaba pilot else sleep a wink last night?

 

[de Pez]

Just a thought here...928 days have passed since the Mesaba contract was amendable. A final deadline to settle the issues was set, down to the minute...How is it that the management can wait 927 days, and 23 hours before making any kind of settlement offer, yet the pilot group is still not on strike?! I am all for the Mesaba pilot group emotionally, and financially also, however when you create a deadline, why not stick to it?

 

[PTinbound]

Why? Because we want a contract, not a strike. In a strike everyone loses. If the MEC says they are making progress and not to strike just yet, then I will stand behind them.
My MEC speaks for me.

 

[New2Flying]

Just a thought here...928 days have passed since the Mesaba contract was amendable. A final deadline to settle the issues was set, down to the minute...How is it that the management can wait 927 days, and 23 hours before making any kind of settlement offer, yet the pilot group is still not on strike?! I am all for the Mesaba pilot group emotionally, and financially also, however when you create a deadline, why not stick to it?

They cannot strike because once BOTH sides agreed to keep at the table, they are not released into self help. As long as they continue to talk, they are not at an impass.

 

[Tflyer70]

Just to make a point, as I have been dwelling over this all morning, the deadline was set for when we WOULD be legal to strike. A time frame and nothing more. Our MEC never said we WOULD at 12:01a EST today regardless of where we stood in contract status. It just gives the MEC the ability to legally seek self help and not be in violation of the RLA.

Its been many hours dwelling over this as I was mostly expecting a strike to occur. But I have to remember that I elected my reps and will let them do their job with due dilligence. After all, it still comes down to MEMRAT.

 

[fly4ever]

New2Flying,

You are mistaken. We were already released to self-help as of the deadline. When we choose to use that self-help is our decision and cannot be taken away from us. This has been up-held in previous court decisions. Our MEC chose to continue with negotiations because they felt we were close to reaching an acceptable agreement, one that will be ratifiable amongst the pilot group. My MEC speaks for me and when it is my turn to vote on the TA or to walk the picket line I will be speaking for myself.

 

[de Pez]

"they are not at an impass"

By definition, the 30 day cooling off period can not begin until an impass has been reached.

 

[mesaba2425]

After being pissed for several hours after the deadline I calmed down and slept on it. I have concluded, perhaps this is a tactic to keep management guessing. If it is, intentionally or not, it's working I suppose.

Or maybe management called ALPA's bluff????

 

[TonyC]

They cannot strike because once BOTH sides agreed to keep at the table, they are not released into self help. As long as they continue to talk, they are not at an impass.

They WERE released into self-help at the end of the 30-day period, and they still have the right to exercise self-help. The fact that the MEC has chosen to continue the "Super-Mediation" process does not revoke the right to exercise self-help.

 

[furloughed]

impasse

New2Flying,

An impasse has already happened. It was declared on December 11th and the 30 day cooling off period began. At the end of that 30 day cooling off period the pilots are free to strike or the company can lockout the pilots and enforce their own work rules and payscale. After the deadline passed last night the union can walkout of negotiations anytime and declare a strike regardless of the progress of those talks. The RLA allows this.

What has probably happened is that the company has finally come to the table with some meaningful contract provisions. Because the Company has stalled for over 900 days the entire contract needs to be hashed out, which takes time. When the union saw that the comapny was bargaining in good faith they decided to continue, but at the same time the union probably told management that if they tried to operate revenue flights today they would officially strike. By officially striking, negotiations end for a period of time (probably weeks or even a month) and pilots are free to scatter to all parts of the world. Other employees would be furloughed. To start up operations again after a strike has been called and then settled would take probably over a week. By doing what they are doing today, if the negotiations can be settled today, everyone is still in position to start up again tomorrow with relatively little loss of revenue. As long as the company continues to bargain in good faith the negotiations will continue, but at the same time there will be no revenue flights. I am sure as soon as the comapny tries to operate without a settlement, a strike will be called. So what we have is a virtual strike, that can easily be called off or it can easily made official. Either way, it sounds as if the company is finally starting to negotiate and this is a good thing for everyone involved.

 

[furloughed]

Or maybe management called ALPA's bluff????

If this was the case Mesaba management would have locked the pilots out or they would have tried to operate flights today. Niether has happened.

 

[sf3boy]

Capt. Tex's comments sound like something Ritchie would say.