Pinnacle Airlines pilots overwhelmingly approved a concessionary contract that the company said was key to its survival, the Memphis (Tenn.)Commercial Appeal reported today. The Air Line Pilots Association said that of the more than 86 percent of eligible pilots casting ballots, 85 percent of pilots voted in favor of the agreement. The new seven-year agreement includes, among other cuts, a 9 percent reduction in pay for all pilots plus longevity caps to all pay scales which will further cut the pay of more than half of Pinnacle’s pilots by as much as another 16 percent. In addition to almost 25 percent pay cuts, the deal also increases health care costs for all pilots while reducing pilot retirement benefits by more than 50 percent for Pinnacle’s most senior pilots.
