Release #02.102
November 18, 2002 

PHOENIX --- Pilots of Mesa Air, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International, are opening their new strike center near the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on November 19. News media, Mesa Air pilots, and pilot families are invited to tour the strike center facilities during a special open house.

"Mesa Air pilot volunteers have done a tremendous job putting together the tools and resources that we will need if Mesa Air Group management forces us to strike," said Captain Andrew Hughes, chairman of the Mesa Air ALPA unit. "While our goal is to achieve a fair agreement with management at the bargaining table, we recognize that we must be fully prepared if we are forced to withdraw our services to gain a contract that provides us with the much-needed job security, compensation, and quality-of-life improvements we deserve."

The Mesa Air pilots’ contract became amendable in December 2001. In May, ALPA requested assistance from the National Mediation Board to help resolve the ongoing contract negotiations.

The strike center open house will be held as follows:

Where: 4127 E. Van Buren, Suite #140, Phoenix, AZ

When: November 19, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilot union, representing more than 66,000 pilots at 43 airlines in the United States and Canada, including approximately 1,200 Mesa Air pilots. Visit the ALPA Website at http://www.alpa.org.

###