Three years ago, Mesaba Airlines pilots were close to striking. But Mesaba's parent company, MAIR Holdings Inc., and the pilots union averted a walkout by signing an agreement that required MAIR to use Mesaba pilots for major expansions. MAIR wants to grow its business by attracting new flying contracts for its Big Sky Airlines subsidiary. But the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) argues that MAIR must use Mesaba pilots for any flying in airplanes with more than 19 seats. Even though MAIR no longer will own Mesaba, the pilots union asserts that Mesaba pilots still have a legally binding labor contract that MAIR must honor. The dispute underscores the complexities of collective bargaining in the airline industry.
See "Pilots trying to hold MAIR to '04 deal on job security", Liz Fedor, Minneapolis Star Tribune, February 20, 2007