USW Statement Regarding Closure of PinnPro Ground Services Unit

More information, contact: Tony Montana, USW – 412-562-2592

PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers today issued the following statement concerning Pinnacle Airlines Corporation’s announcement that the bankrupt airline plans to shutter its PinnPro Professional Ground Services unit:

The USW is outraged that more than 800 hardworking men and women will be losing their jobs as a result of Pinnacle management’s mistakes.

The company has issued a three-page “Q&A” concerning the closure of the PinnPro business where management describes the benefits that it intends to offer employees at closure. The USW has reminded both its members and management that the economic terms of any such package will and must be subject to negotiations with our union.

The USW is committed to making sure Pinnacle management is held accountable throughout the bankruptcy process and will fight at the bargaining table to ensure that workers are not asked to sacrifice their jobs, wages and benefits so that the company’s top managers can continue to give themselves raises.

The USW also represents approximately 1,800 flight attendants at Pinnacle Airlines and its subsidiary, Colgan Air. The USW says that negotiations with Pinnacle over collective bargaining agreements for the more than 2,600 USW-represented flight attendants and ground service personnel have not yet begun.

The USW will need the support of all of its members at Pinnacle to push management for better terms than those outlined in the company’s initial communication about the announcement.

The USW represents about 850,000 working men and women in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glass making to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber and other manufacturing environments to the public sector, service and health care industries.