Comment from: Jonathan Ornstein [Member]
Comment from: Cory [Visitor]
Regarding the money that HAL is asking for, how do you plan on paying...cash or check?

+++

Unlike our competitors we are fortunate in that we have never been in bankruptcy and have been profitable for the last 10 years. We have never cut our employees pay, eliminated their pensions and with the exception less than 100 of our 5000 employees immediately following 9/11 never furloughed any of our people. As a result, we have ample financial resources.

10/16/07 @ 12:28

Should have no problem getting a decent contract for the pilots/flight attendants if Mesa has "ample financial resources" and has been profitable for the last 10 years.

Wow....
Comment from: Jonathan Ornstein [Member]
Comment from: Gomcfadden [Visitor]
I happen to have a mesa pilot contract in front of me. First officers pay between 1,555/mo and tops 3,000/mo. Only one week vacation/yr. 16 hour days. No matching 401k. Only 80% coverage on medical/dental. This is horrible pay and work conditions. School janitors make way more than this. I believe you get what you pay for, and there is no way I would, in good conscience, put my family aboard any Mesa plane, GO! or otherwise. Is this contract true Mr. Ornstein. It must be because I got it from one of your pilots. My question is how do you sleep at night.

+++

Our pilots are among the highest if not the highest compensated regional airline pilots in the industry. While first officer wages are low throughout the industry -- and Mesa is no exception -- we have never in our 25 year history been unable to upgrade a first officer to captain within 5 years. Additionally we have never had to move pilots backwards in their career. Over any reasonable period of time 5, 7, 10 or 12 years our pilots "out earn" the vast majority of their peers in the regional industry. In addition our CRJ 900 rates are the second highest rates in the regional industry and are similar to narrow body rates at other carriers.
10/16/07 @ 13:14