Strike Blocked at Mesaba
 

Judge blocks threatened strike at Mesaba

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_arti...storyid=137439


A bankruptcy judge on Monday blocked a strike by unions at Mesaba Aviation Inc., clearing the way for the feeder for Northwest Airlines Corp. to impose pay cuts later this week.

Mesaba, which has been reorganizing under bankruptcy protection for a year, had said a strike would probably put it out of business.

On Monday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Gregory Kishel agreed.

Bankruptcy Judge Gregory Kishel enjoined Mesaba's pilots, flight attendants and mechanics from encouraging, permitting or taking any type of work stoppage action, including a strike, "sick-out, slow-down or other concerted refusal to perform normal employment duties."

His decision leaves Mesaba free to cut employee pay on Thursday without fear of a crippling work stoppage. Mesaba had said previously that a walkout would kill the airline.

Mesaba has said it needs the pay cuts so it can compete with other regional carriers for business from Northwest. It has been backed into a corner by a combination of its fear of a strike if it makes cuts unilaterally, and a threat by its creditors to liquidate the company if it doesn't achieve those cuts.

Mesaba's pilots, flight attendants and mechanics argued in court last week that the grave consequences of a potential strike don't mean it should be blocked. They cited the Norris-LaGuardia Act, a piece of labor law that they argued generally bars judges from blocking strikes, even when the nation's transportation system is threatened.

Mesaba argued that Kishel could block a strike that would violate the Railway Labor Act, as they said this one would.

Mesaba, a unit of MAIR Holdings Inc., filed for bankruptcy protection in October 2005, about a month after Northwest -- its only major customer -- did the same thing. The carrier once boasted a fleet of roughly 100 aircraft, including regional jets, but Northwest has slashed that to 49 prop-driven Saabs. Mesaba flies to about 86 cities, funneling passengers into Northwest hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis.


(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


This is the biggest pile of sh*t I've ever layed my eyes on

Time to call in sick. Actually, I would just walk off the job for good at an outstation convenient to me.

If a union's biggest threat is that of a strike, and courts are simply able to go to the railway labor act and block the strike, then what good is the threat of a strike, much more, what good is the union? Not saying we need to get rid of unions, but...it would seem like a differnet approach by the union should be considered...

Scumbag lawyers and judges those bastards Im so sickned by them, well to my Mesabe brothers, good luck guys i wish you the best. Thank ****ty airlines like MESA & GOJETS for the current situation, its all their fault.

I agree, lawyers are scumbags. I hope everyone at Mesaba is looking for work elsewhere. If I could financial handle it, I would walk right now if I were a Mesaba pilot.

Mesa and Gojet have no busniess with Northwest. So they are not to blame. Saab... you need to get a different topic to talk about. I dislike Mesa just as much, simply because they are an inferior product. I hear the pilots are awsome there, but the company sucks. Cancellations and being late for no reason makes us all look bad in the eyes of the flying public. As for Gojet, that topic has been beaten like a dead horse.

I wonder what Woerth and Wychor have up their sleeve, if anything.

I'd be happy to write an assessment check to help bail Wychor out of jail if he said **** to the judge and struck anyway once new terms were imposed.

The judiciary abrogating the RLA for management and yet enforcing it with labor sets a very dangerous precedent for all of us.

Well the way I would see this one is the XJ pilots have two options:

1. Strike anyways (yes I am aware that it would be illegal) and worst case scenario they go lock up the union leaders for a night cause lets face it they cant arrest everybody there's just too many of them...

2. Coordinate a simultaneous resignation of every pilot on the seniority list including the furloughees and make it known that if any furloughee decides to come back he/she will be considered as having crossed a picket line and will be scab listed as such....

But bottom line I think the end of days for XJ is near...

This is the problem with the industry, not any of the pilots, the system in place that allows the worker to get sh!t on and not do a thing about it!

I think it isnt as much sh!t on in this case as it is sh!t crammed down thier throat.

I tell aspiring pilots to save their money and go to law or med school. At least don't become professional pilots. Be a "scumbag" lawyer and just fly for fun on the side.

People are posting, just walk off the job right now. Well, I'd like to add to that. Anyone that is currently at some flight school college/university: Quit at the end of the semester/year and transfer to another school!!!

It's harsh but it's also reality. The revolutionary days of organized labor having any control and becoming heroes are well over. The corrupt legal system has its hands tied.

The funny thing for me is today I'm meeting with my attorney..... and he charges $300/hour. I have to admit though he is worth it.

I'd imagine that Woerth is gonna do the same thing he's always done - sit and wonder what's going on and how can he make more money and build political power. Of course, he'll be doing it from retirement (finally) - so a lot fewer pilots will have to suffer from his actions.

I would refrain from making comments like this on a public forum...............it got APA at American in Big Trouble and set a very bad legal precident for all of us since then.

Mesaba needs to go. Strike anyways, resign, leave, do whatever.

I know what you mean, but I'm not XJ, nor involved with their labor group in any way. Just stating what I would do...

I'm on board with that.

I think just about everyone would be ok w/ that...If we're all paying for a union that is supposed to bargain for us to get what we need to live, then its time for the union to make an ACTUAL stand. Or, maybe more of that ALPA money needs to be given to judges for payoffs the same way the other side is doing.

take every mesaba pilots dues and not give them to alpa, but put them in a trust fund for TW. Use that money that money set aside for bail, and see if he and ALPA are willing to go all the way for you. If he goes all the way, put your trust in him. If not, every man has to look out for his own family and self. It's a tough gamble at best. Leverage is lost, and the only way to get it back is to go totally unconventional. Either ALPA shows its balls and makes a stand for all the money it has collected in the name of protecting you for countless years, or the pilot group all hands in a resignation at once. It's all or none.

When i was in Bosnia way back when, a serb once told me, "when you and your brothers are backed into a corner, the only way out if to come out fighting together." Everyone has their reason for being there : PIC, family, steady job etc. They are all respectable. It's tough to say all or none because everyone has a life to live. I feel for everyone there. Just remember, nothing will change unless you change it. After this judge ruled, you will all have to change it, together.

[QUOTE=flynavyj;72594] its time for the union to make an ACTUAL stand. QUOTE]

Making an actual stand would be calling on all ALPA carriers to stand with us on this sham of a bankruptcy. It is time for ALPA national to take a stand and change the course of regional airline labor.

I am looking at my Gold 75 years of Pilots In Command sticker and see that it says STRONG-FOCUSED-SAFE.

Let's see the STRONG come in to play here.

I am so sick of this whole thing, God help any of you that find yourself working for a carrier in bankruptcy.