Announce a furlough then penalize those pilots for getting a job. Corporate America at it's finest.
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Mesaba wants former pilots to pay for training
Tuesday April 18, 11:36 am ET
Mesaba Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy last October, is billing former pilots thousands of dollars for training costs, according to media reports.
The first-year pilots were notified in late 2005 that they would be furloughed in January or February. Some of the pilots found jobs prior to their furlough dates and gave Mesaba two weeks' notice.
Mesaba, a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based MAIR Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: MAIR - News), has sent certified letters to those pilots stating they must repay Mesaba within 30 days or their training bills will be turned over to a collection agency.
Mesaba said its actions are in accordance with the airline's contract with its pilots.
The pilots union said the payback provision has not been enforced in the past.
Mesaba flies regional flights for Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest Airlines Corp. (Pink Sheets: NWACQ - News), which operates a hub from Memphis International Airport.
Published April 18, 2006 by the Memphis Business Journal