Colgan Air, Inc.
KEEPING YOU INFORMED
THE PINNACLE PILOTS WANT YOUR FLYING
The Pinnacle pilots want your flying. Since Pinnacle Airlines Corp. acquired Colgan Air,
Inc., ALPA and its member pilots at Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., another subsidiary of our corporate
parent, Pinnacle Airlines Corp., have been tirelessly working to get you integrated into ALPA’s
pilot membership at Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. They tried to get you to vote for ALPA last year and
you said “No.” They have used the grievance and arbitration process in their contract with
Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. to try and force Pinnacle Airlines Corp. to restrict what Colgan can do.
And now they are back again to try and get you to voluntarily give up the independence you now
enjoy.
What is the grand design of ALPA’s Pinnacle pilots? Take a look at the “Parent
Agreement” they have proposed in the negotiations with Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. Under the
Parent Agreement, ALPA states it is trying to negotiate “job security and work preservation
provisions” in connection with its bargaining for a new CBA at Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. The Parent
Agreement would require our corporate parent, like Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., to be bound by the
job security and scope provisions of the Pinnacle pilot’s ALPA contract.
What does this mean for you? The Parent Agreement would effectively impose the
“Pinnacle Pilots’ Seniority List” on you, the Colgan pilots, and integrate Colgan with Pinnacle
Airlines, Inc. into a “single transportation system.” In other words, in the world according to the
Pinnacle Pilots and ALPA, Colgan’s new equipment will be flown by pilots on a combined
Colgan-Pinnacle pilot’s seniority list. Do you really want that?
Don’t take our word for it, ask ALPA for the language yourself.
If there was an integrated seniority list, who would win bids on your flying, you, or more
senior Pinnacle pilots? If you were on an integrated seniority list, who would be better protected
in a layoff, you or more senior Pinnacle pilots? Why do you think the Pinnacle pilots have
worked so hard to get you to be ALPA members? They certainly wouldn’t be pulling out all the
stops if they didn’t think it was better for them. Right now, they see you as potential
competitors. They want to eliminate the competition and create more opportunities for
themselves.
The scope proposal also limits Colgan to the aircraft that we have now by tail number
with no additional aircraft to be flown by Colgan pilots. What would this do to Colgan First
Officer opportunities to upgrade?
Look to your own self-interest. What is better for you and Colgan? Remember, if you
want to vote “No” to ALPA, don’t vote!