The Air Line Pilots Association said 98 percent of the pilots who voted approved the strike authorization.
Mesaba, which filed for Chapter 11 in October, has been squeezed by the bankruptcy of its larger partner, Northwest Airlines Corp.
The company said it must reduce its expenses by $66.4 million annually, including $17.1 million in labor costs, to emerge from bankruptcy. Mesaba has asked for court permission to terminate the pilots' labor deals.
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In a related event, buzz is stirring on a local Minneapolis-St. Paul tv station about MSP airport searching for new carriers. The airport is putting a contingency plan in place just in case NWA pulls out or a strike is called.
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