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Mesaba pilots, flight attendants and mechanics are calling for the removal of top executives at Mesaba Airlines and MAIR Holdings in an overwhelming "Vote of No Confidence." The employee groups, which have formed the Mesaba Labor Coalition, don't believe that top management has acted in the airline's best interests. The decision to transfer virtually all of Mesaba's profits to MAIR Holdings has put the employees' careers, livelihood and futures at risk.Each Mesaba employee who signed a petition reaffirmed that he or she has absolutely "no confidence in management's ability to lead, direct, or run either Mesaba or MAIR."
The labor groups will highlight their complaints through a picketing demonstration at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Wednesday, February 8, from 4:30 pm to 6:15 pm local time. The demonstration will continue at the Detroit Metro Airport and at the Memphis Shelby County International Airport on Thursday, February 9, from 4:30 pm to 6:15 pm local time.
Management is currently seeking to use the bankruptcy process to reject the pilot, flight attendant, and mechanic contracts, and has proposed deep wage and benefit cuts.
"This management team has acted shamefully and it's about time the public knows what we know," said flight attendant Carla Rogat, vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants unit at Mesaba. "Mesaba and MAIR executives are bleeding this airline dry without regard for anyone or anything but their own financial gain."
"We agree that Mesaba needs to restructure," says Kevin Wildermuth, negotiating chairman for the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, "but labor is not the problem at Mesaba. In today's environment, Mesaba cannot subsidize an expensive holding company and an unprofitable airline subsidiary."
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