This will get ugly before we ever have anything close to an industry leading contract. Either lower your expectations or tighten up your boot straps because I guarantee that without concessions from us (pilots) we won't see a damn thing for a long time. Us 9e guys have been on this train for quite a while so forgive us if we don't display such a sunny outlook on any negotiations. Some may see a deadline, I see 45 days of bs before we are all negotiating for seperate contracts again. They just bought 3 more months of relief from the nmb with this stunt.

This could very well happen and it is why I believe we are asking too much. If Mesaba wants a better contract than what they have so be it, but forcing Pinnacle and Colgan to join their fight is wrong.

So whats happening here is we are asking for a Mesaba+ contract... To Pinnacle and Colgan that is some serious gains. To go from no contract and extremely low wages to industry leading in 45 days... Really? Do you all REALLY think Pinnacle management is going to go for that. Pinnacle Inc has been in negotiations for years and havent reached anything even close to Mesabas current contract.

And if you think Pinnacle wont figure out a way to do what they want without merging the lists and having one contract your all in for a surprise... If we go in there asking for too much they will simply say "no" and find another way to do what they need to do and we will all stay in the current status quo having gained nothing. But hey if thats what yall think is best then so be it.

Having said that. I do have faith in the negotiating team, I think they will find a common ground with management and get us something that is better than what we currently have. Which is nothing...

I don't think mesabas contract is all that great, espicially when our managment team gets a hold of it and starts "interpreting" things. I hope we can achieve slightly better than industry average, which I think was always the goal at 9E. I'm just saying that isn't going to happen without the STFD group and things getting ugly.

Its better than what Pinnacle and Colgan have now...

Industry average or slightly better would be a great goal and something more realistic than the current goal of getting more than what Mesaba currently has.

edit: deleted

Management's dream pilot right there. Average as the goal? The average is nothing compared to what is should be! The race to the bottom continues...

I don't know about anyone else, but I am pulling up my bootstraps.

Doing nothing, Colgan will have the Mesaba contract. Management knew that when they bought Mesaba, so it is up to US to demand MORE!

It ain't gonna be easy, but I will NOT vote for anything less than the best of Pinnacle and Mesaba PLUS! Pinnacle CORP has the biggest turbo prop fleet (twice as many as Horizon). Not to ignore the jets, but props are THE MOST EFFICIENT at puddle jumping. There is NO other regional that has the prop capacity to replace us. For ONCE, we prop guys have the trump cards. We on the prop side can and must stand firm and force a GOOD contract... FOR ALL AIRCRAFT! If we don't, then I never want to hear any b!tching about work rules, pay, or scheduling: we hold our destiny.

Whatever,

Don't get me wrong I would love to have a great contract that would be Mesaba+ but I would rather have something than nothing. And I think asking for Mesaba+ is just going to lead to nothing if they don't give in.

Having spent a lot of time in the crew room in MSP this week, I heard no one say they are looking for an industry leading contract. I mean it is going to be hard enough to get Uncle Phil to agree on just getting Pinnacle and Colgan pilots up to our rates. I will certainly NOT go back.

I'd like to see changes in FO pay, reserve rules, I want Pinnacle Heathcare and Pinnacle vacation, I would really like to see Colgan get our Q400 rates.

I hope we can take the best parts of all current contracts, get some QOL issues dealt with and maybe a increase in pay. Then make the term SHORT so that when the negotiations drag on we don't go backwards.

No matter what happens if there is a contract reached (I never knew the time line till a couple of days ago - I will believe it when I see it) Pinnacle and Colgan guys can out vote the Mesaba guys. I could live with that.

This whole post is quite troubling but I just quoted one part from it. Do you really think that Pinnacle management expected Mesaba pilots to NOT be looking for more than the current contract? Mesaba's contract was/is up for negotiation soon anyways. I don't think anyone is going to give a yes vote to keep going with the current concessionary/bankruptcy contract for another 5 years. This is the chance to bring EVERYONE up, not just Pinnacle and Colgan.

We are all more valuable than you think. I am hoping we are all in for a nice suprise. The Pinnacle world is a different world now that they are looking to merge everything and the Pinnacle and Colgan pilot groups now have A LOT more leverage - leverage is something you didn't really have before this. Now you do.