LDmax

Mesa is starting an inter isalnd operation on June 9th . They will be using the outer islands as bases...IE OGG,KOA & LIH..

On June 6th the new pilots are required to be in HNL for mandatory training prior to starting the operation.

MESA IS NOT BUYING TICKETS..

They are saying since nobody was " forced" all bid Hawaii, they are not entitled to a paid move and are required to get to Hawaii on their own...

But to attend this training they are expected to report to HNL which is not their domicle and MESA will not pay!

Expect many to try and jumpseat, which IMHO is a violation of JS.

MESA needs to provide PS from their new domicle to HNL...

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Update (from a JS coordinator):

After being contacted by the AQ and HAL J/S coordinators. Mesa said it will now provide transportation to the training in HNL. HOWEVER, they are only providing transportation from the out-station domiciles (OGG,KOA, LIH, ITO) to HNL. Everyone still has to get to Hawaii on their own. and half the pilots going to Hawaii will be based in HNL.

I believe this is still a problem because this is a new domicile opening and the effective date of the award is June 9th, but the required training is on June 7 & 8.

This is not about punishing the Mesa pilots, we are trying to get them to step up and tell their management that if there is a required training event, then Mesa must provide tranportation to it. They need to stand up and tell their anti-union CEO that they will not allow violations of their contract.

CargoBob

Just an obsevation and no facts to back it up, but here I go:

Limit the # of med school slots--keep doctor #s low=high demand, high pay (hmos/lawyers/insurance have taken their toll)

1950-1985...For the most part, one had to be military to get a major job (many exceptions--I know). All of the mil guys had 4 yr degrees many w/ grad degrees as well. Some capable & WILLING to change careers if push comes to shove.

Now, Unlimited # of flt schools=massive # of pilots + RJ experience=fully qualed airline pilot and eager for a job. Many do not have anything other than an aviation tech degree...what else are they going to do...making $70,000 a yr w/ jetblu is better than selling insurance or mortgages. Not slamming the civilian pilot...many excellent pilots among them, but supply and demand!

Pilots have always been hard to unify...now a days, it is even tougher. As another poster said...the glory days are over.

Slice

Not trying to side with mgmt, but the way the contract works is they will pay to move you and your household goods if you are displaced to a new or existing domicile. If you bid a new or existing domicile voluntarily you are on your own. Example, I am based at IAD and we open ORD. I am responsible for getting myself to my new domicile which would usually be by car. In the case of HI, if I am awarded HNL I am responsible to get myself there for the new domicile award. The training event if it is in HNL is now considered "in domicile" so no lodging is provided by the company. If my domicle is OGG then they are required to transport my from my domicile to the training event, HNL in this case. It's a sh!tty deal all around but if your newly awarded domicile is HNL then they aren't contractually obligated to get you there...morally, well we're speaking about JO here.

FlyerJosh

The question is when does the new domicile open? AKA when is the transfer officially complete? If the training falls before that date, then the pilots should not be jumpseating to HNL if the company is requiring them to be there for mandatory training.

B757200ER

This is not good. Mesa should buy these pilots a ticket, the cheap b*stards.

Jeez. What do they think? The jumpseat is their own personal free DH'ing tool?

rickair7777

This situation is kind of vague, however the company did release all of the Hawaii pilots from line flying on May 30th to allow them to travel and get situated. Contractually, the company could have had those people work in their old domiciles until 8 June, given them legal rest and started them flying for Go! on the 9th.

Technically the new bases don't open until 9 June, but the crews are getting 6 free days to travel and scope out the surf spots. The company is not being generous as far as moving costs or COLA, but they are doing more than the contract requires.

You could reasonably say that in effect the new bases opened for those pilots on 1 June, and the company gave them 6 days off in their new domicile before they have to do any work.

Brown Dog

All of this arguing is mere semantics. The bottom line is if MESA wasn't a crap hole they would step up and do the right thing. I've worked for crap hole operators as this is standard fare. It will never change.

FlyerJosh

Brown Dog,

Semantics or not, would UPS positive space you to a new domicile that you voluntarily transferred to? I know that ACA/Independence would not. Granted we didn't have to travel over a large body of water, but all we got were "moving days." But no positive space tickets unless it was a TDY assignment.

BeenThere

And the follow-up question is when will the domicile(s) close? I can't decide who will go broke first in this little venture: the company itself or the pilots living six to an apartment and sharing a car--with zero hope of saving a dime while working in "paradise" for Mesa wages. Hawaii is a graveyard of failed "commuter" airlines that were going to show Aloha and Hawaiian how it's done. Some of them were were very well connected to HI business and social power centers, something Johnny O can never hope to achieve. And some of their aircraft are now artificial reefs around the islands.

Hawaii will hand Johnny his head within six months, and then he'll have to pay to bring his displaced pilots home again. Unless he pulls a Lorenzo and simply furloughs everyone.

Good luck guys, and keep those resumes up to date!

FlyerJosh

Unfortunately, Hawaii won't hand Johnny his head... it will hand the pilots theirs- on a silver platter. Even if the whole thing flops terribly (very possibly) and JO loses his job (less possibly), he'll walk away with millions in stock options and a severance package.

All the while the employees get screwed on the next round of contract negotiations due to the weakened financial status of the company. Once again management gets the parachute while employees just get the shower.