PinnacleBut Airlinesgroup pilotshas not prepareset a date for strikeaction

Pilots at Pinnacle Airlines – which operates a fleet of 130 regional jets under the banners of Northwest Airlink and Delta Connection – are starting to get ready for a possible strike. The union has opened a Strike Operations Center in Bloomington, Minn., “where Pinnacle pilot volunteers can coordinate strike preparedness activities in their effort to achieve a fair contract,” a spokesman said. The pilots said they have not had a raise in three years, and have been trying unsuccessfully to negotiate a better contract with Pinnacle management since 2005. The National Mediation Board has been working with the two sides since September 2006, but without result. The pilot group did not set a deadline for a strike, but said the new Strike Center “will allow us to be prepared if Pinnacle management fails to reverse its negotiating patterns.”