skillett

Ok here is the deal. ALPA fought for 900 base pay in CLT, 700 base pay in IAD and ORD a few years ago. This grievance went all the way to the courts where a judge ruled in favor of the company and allowed Mesa to use the CRJ200 as the base pay in these stations where none were based. Now Mesa is fighting for that same 50 seat base pay for the EMB. According to some Mesa will not win this one if it goes in front of the judge because of no EMB certified for less than 70 seats. Now Mesa can get themselves into a real cluster **** if they try to keep that fence up on captains and have a 50 seat base pay and here is why. Mesa was paying that 50 seat pay for quite a while while the grievance was held up in the court process. If the judge had awarded the decision for the pilots that would have been quite alot of back pay to shell out at once. Now imagine if they try to do the same for the EMB and lose the court decision down the road. It would cause a massive displacement of pilots. Senior capt displacing EMB capt back to the CRJ some who have not upgraded before the EMB. Others going back to FO displacing EMB FO's. Plus all that back pay would also have to be awarded to the CRJ capts that could of held the EMB. Talk about training costs and displacement cost blowing the roof off the place. Mesa has done stupid **** like this several times as we have seen. I wonder if managements ego will get the best of Mesa again.

sidestep

Many Governments and Militaries operate the E-170, not to mention Biz jet versions. I would guess they operate with fewer than 70 seats. 70 seats is no doubt the U.S. industry standard for the E-170/5, but when you talk 'certified' I think it typically refers to maximums, not minimums.

Just a hypothetical - but I could see oJ and Smisek getting together and saying 'let's put a couple 50 seat E-170s on the ORD-DCA/EWR and run it like a premium shuttle'

I hope it doesn't happen, but I wouldn't put it past jonnyO.

skillett

Yes, I thought of that as well but if they don't fill those premium seats every flight there would be a huge loss of revenue. I was thinking about that spare which has already been announced. It's the second plane that will have that inauguration party in KFLL. That aircraft could be equipped with 50 seats. It would not be difficult to add 26 seats out of another aircraft as well if the other airplane would be down for several days. I'm not sure how the contract is written and this part was probably overlooked.

tinman1

How senior is PHX? How long would it take to hold a line?

Navmode

You won't get phx

sulkair

A friend of mine, as of this coming FEB, can finally hold FO in PHX, and he was hired in late 2007

skillett

I left PHX because I was on the cusp of reserve/line holder. I was hired early 05'. Doesn't help that the majority of the check airmen are out in PHX as well. With the contract Mesa can build IOE lines that take away credit hours from potential line holders.

minimwage4

Is Mesa still getting the E170s?

RgrMurdock

How the hell did mesa get away with paying you guys 50 seat pay on those planes? I still don't get it. Is the language in your contract that weak?

logic1

What you don't get is what is being said. The base rate (50 seat pay)is what we make on reserve or vacation,then you get paid the difference of what you fly. So if I sit reserve for 80 hours and fly the 900 for 40 of those hours, I get paid 80 hours at 50 seat rate,then the difference between 50 seat pay and 77+ (900 pay) for 40 hours.