MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Mesaba Aviation Inc. and the union that represents its pilots reached a tentative agreement on labor concessions, said the airline, which is in bankruptcy protection.þþThe deal came Saturday after a bankruptcy judge here blocked a potential strike by pilots, flight attendants and mechanics at the Eagan-based regional carrier. If a deal had not been reached, Mesaba had the authority from the judge to impose labor cost cuts of 17.5 percent. Flight attendants and mechanics are continuing to negotiate with the airline.þþDetails of the agreement were not immediately released.þþMesaba, a feeder for Northwest Airlines Corp. that serves 88 cities in the U.S. and Canada, has faced pressure to reduce its operating costs. Mesaba is in a bidding war with other regional airlines to secure flying business from Northwest and other airlines.þþMesaba filed for bankruptcy protection a year ago after Northwest skipped some payments.þþIn a news release, Mesaba president John Spanjers called the talks a ''challenging process'' and praised the Air Line Pilots Association for working toward a solution.þþTom Wychor, chairman of the Mesaba branch of the ALPA, said the union's 12-member executive council was reviewing the agreement. Pilots have the right to accept or reject the tentative deal.þþ
Source: NY Times
