Mesa versus Skywest?

[lucky81698]

Originally Posted by Amanda

Well how about this for timing. Nick just received a notice at his parents' house that Mesa tried to deliver a certified letter. No doubt itis the training money they want. I was hoping... praying that it would fall through the cracks somehow. Nick clarified that he did get his vacation paid out but they held his last paycheck. He doesn't have access to the Mesa employee system anymore and doesn't think he can prove they held his last check. Is it legal to hold a check?

We are both sick over this. Money is constantly going out, but not as much is coming in. What a tough year this is.
The training contract will cost us several thousand dollars to pay back.

I have heard around for years that those things are basically unenforcable. They do that to discourage people from leaving right after training and then if they do, try to get their money, but if you put up a fuss, they let it go. That was awhile back though.

Bill signed paperwork back when we were at Precision Airlines (NW Airlink) that they would pay for him to get his dispatch license. they were supposed to deduct a certain amount each pay. But he left shortly after and they held his last paycheck. It is illegal to do that in NH, so they had to pay him and he never repaid them for the training. (It was a really crappy company after the Caruso's took over and he never felt a pang of guilt over it!)

Jan

[roz]

Unfortunately, they are enforceable now. One company (I forget which) took it all the way the Federal Court of Appeals and won last year.

Here's another just decided by the Wyoming Supreme Court:

OSCN Found DocumentDANIEL M. PITTARD V. GREAT LAKES AVIATION

[jr_lenz]

Amanda, I feel for you, It seems like for every good turn there is another one waiting to kick you in the teeth. we just lost money on a crash house in fresno that we had set up for Lance, then he got transferred to SLC, but we can't get any money back. It wasn't a lot but right now every thing is alot.

[Kristie]

Amanda, what does it look like you guys have to pay? Is it a really high sum? do they even tell you in the contract how much training costs so you know ahead of time? don't they prorate for each month outside of training?

It's CRAZY that they make you obligated for training year after year.. that means no matter WHEN you decide to leave Mesa, your going to be paying THEM to leave! Owned by Mesa... HA, not funny, i know...... I hope the new employees at Mesa understand the consequences of being royally screwed.

[skyrocketocelot]

I'll throw in my two cents quickly... I talked with SO, current Mesa/Freedom pilot. You sign a 10K note, you do get a chart showing what you owe, it is prorated, your probation period is a year. This happens whenever you train on a new aircraft for them.

I know I'll get flamed for saying this, but to me it's not as bad as people have made it out to be.


Of course, that can always change.

[roz]

To me it's bad because it doesn't have to be that way.

[Kristie]

and with United being unhappy with Mesa's performance and the fact that they can't get United the planes they wanted, i see/hear that they might lose that contract.

so the training contract is for any NEW aircraft only? how bout for changing bases, upgrading from FO to CA or even recurrent training?

Even the probation period is longer....

I heard today that Mesa's now out of reserves completely, everyone has a line and the seniority rate is moving really quickly. maybe folks are catching on that Mesa isn't the type of company you want to go for?

[roz]

Changing bases would not necessitate a training event. It's the training events that trigger payments due in the promissory note.

To my knowledge upgrades and aircraft transitions are training events.

Why is the probation period longer? It's 12 months as with any airline, to my knowledge.

Well, the legacies just shop around the regional flying to squeeze more blood out. It's the fault of the mainline pilots for giving up scope and not insisting on keeping the flying in house. The result is a crappy, inconsistent product that gets us frequent fliers ticked off. I'd rather fly an lcc now--they deliver exactly what they advertise. Paying $1200 to fly to IAH in an RJ is not what I want to do. And I don't have to--I take my company's money elsewhere!

Well legacies and lcc's and regionals are all short staffed now! It's not unique to Mesa.

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by roz

Well, the legacies just shop around the regional flying to squeeze more blood out. It's the fault of the mainline pilots for giving up scope and not insisting on keeping the flying in house.

I know. I do hear they're starting to get ready to take it back too...anything 70 seats and up might again belong to mainline in the near future.

[Amanda]

Sorry I dropped out of sight for a while. Nick and I are busy moving into our new place and didn't have internet access for a few days.

Nick's certified letter is at the post office and he's not picking it up yet. He wants to talk to a lawyer first. I think the lawyer has dealt with this issue.

Nick was at Mesa for 3 years but changed planes 3 times (Beech 1900, CRJ, ERJ), and the last year he upgraded from FO to Cpt.
We don't know the exact amount until he picks up the certified letter.

Money issues have not been good here.