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Oct 28, 2006 8:22 pm US/Central
Mesaba Airlines Reaches Tentative Agreement
Minneapolis (AP) ―
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Mesaba operates as a Northwest Jet Airlink and Airlink partner under an airline service agreement with Northwest Airlines. (File)
Mesaba Aviation Inc. and the union that represents its pilots reached a tentative agreement on labor concessions, the bankrupt airline announced Saturday.
The deal came five days after a bankruptcy judge here blocked a potential strike by pilots, flight attendants and mechanics at the Eagan-based regional carrier. If a deal had not been reached, Mesaba had the authority from the judge to impose labor cost cuts of 17.5 percent. Flight attendants and mechanics are continuing to negotiate with the airline.
Details of the agreement were not immediately released.
Mesaba, a feeder for Northwest Airlines Corp. that serves 88 cities in the U.S. and Canada, has faced pressure to reduce its operating costs. Mesaba is in a bidding war with other regional airlines to secure flying business from Northwest and other airlines.
Mesaba filed for bankruptcy a year ago after Northwest skipped some payments.
In a news release, Mesaba president John Spanjers called the talks a "challenging process" and praised the Air Line Pilots Association for working toward a solution.
Tom Wychor, chairman of the Mesaba branch of the ALPA, said the union's 12-member executive council was reviewing the agreement. Pilots have the right to accept or reject the tentative deal.
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