Freedom Air Flying RJ''s for U????

[ONTHESTREET]

I heard from an old school buddy that Freedom air has told their newest class of pilots that U MEC has authorized them to fly the CRJ 700 (70 seats) starting in March!!!
Last I heard was the company came to ALPA and wanted to start negotiations to put 70 seaters at other than MDA. To date I kave seen nothing about Freedom or any other carrier being authorized.
Have we been blindsided by the MEC again??????? Its bad enough that they are not going to the WO''s but to give them to a carrier that ALPA National denounces!!!!! None of my furloughed buddies has heard anything, how about you guys that are still active???? Word is from a friend that lives in the PHX area that training is starting now and jets in U colors by march.
Anybody with info please chime in!!!

 

[autofixer]

ONTHESTREET, I would not doubt it. I am trying to find out info regarding my voluntary fulough next month and the union (ALPA)does not have time for me. I payed thousands of dollars in union dues over 15.5 years and all I received in return was concessionary contracts...and U still went belly up! The MEC is only interested in the top 10% of the seniority list. That is the way it is and always has been! Watch your six! I have got to get out of this place, if it's the last thing I ever do... Do you have any experience in the auto industry?

 

[ONTHESTREET]

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On 12/2/2002 8:57:45 PM autofixer wrote:

Do you have any experience in the auto industry?[img --------------
[/blockquote]

Hmmmmm.....Does getting a speeding ticket or trying to get a girl in the backseat in high school count?

 

[DakotaHC8]

Freedom Air is a newly created division of Mesa Air Group. It is currently separate from the primary pilot group at Mesa and is not represented by ALPA.

It's original purpose was to allow the operation of America West Express CRJ-700 and CRJ-900 regional jets without violating the scope language of the US Airways pilots contract. The Airways pilots scope prohibits any express carrier from operating an aircraft larger then 50 seats even if they are flown under a different airlines code and colors. Freedom will have a separate certificate, and thus would have been able to fly the large regional jets.

ALPA (national and Airways) originally voiced strong opposition towards the creation of Freedom because because of alter-ego concerns with the airline not being operated by the Mesa pilots (ALPA represented), and the objections of the mainline America west pilots on having their flying outsourced further into 70 and 90 seat a/c.

But then US Airway management came to the airways pilots and demanded additional concessions to enable them to secured the ATSB loan guarentees. Management requested from the U ALPA that Freedom be allowed to operate 70 seat RJ's for US Airways to bring in needed revenue and feed.

Now here's where it gets kinda strange. Even though Freedom was still considered a huge threat to all of ALPA, according to the recent U ALPA code-a-phone the mainline negotiating commitee had agreed to most of the provisions necessary to allow Freedom to start operating flight for US Airways.

What exact details involved in such an agreement between the union and the company have not been made public, but suffice to say that the general idea was to allow Freedom to operate some aircraft right now while Midatlantic ramped up and began to operate it's own fleet of 70 seaters.

Then, all of the sudden it seems like Midatlantic is a big question mark, years away if ever. The new push being for the remaining wholly owned regionals (ALG, PDT, and PSA) to also fly 70 seaters alongside Freedom.

The most recent course now has new negotiations occuring to place the 70 seat RJ flying at mainline US Airways under a separate working division (ala Metrojet) with different pay and work rules. The results of these new talks remain to be seen, but every indication is that the "Freedom" thing is still going to happen. No one knows for sure how this all will turn out but I hope this answered your question

 

[gilbertguy]

[blockquote]
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On 12/2/2002 902 PM PineyBob wrote:

OK It's time for the next round of "Explain it to the PAX"

Seriously who or what is Freedom Air? I don't recall seeing them listed as an Express carrier? Trying to learn and understand thanks
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It's the union busting division of Mesa........

 

[motnot]

Piney, the big RJ's being flown for America West do have a first class section.