Mesa Airlines Accused of Illegally Withholding Wages to Cover Pilot Training Costs

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Mesa Airlines, Inc. is on the receiving end of a proposed class action lawsuit filed by a former pilot who claims the company unlawfully withheld his last paycheck to cover the cost of his pilot training. The plaintiff says Mesa required him to sign a Promissory Note when he was hired that obligated him to pay the airline for the cost of his pilot training unless he remained employed with the company for more than one year after he completed the training program. According to the complaint, he resigned from his position with Mesa around November 2015, which he says amounted to eight to nine months of service. The company allegedly notified him that he still owed $4,232.00 under the terms of the Promissory Note and withheld all his wages for his final pay period. The suit argues that the defendant violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s requirement that an employer pay its workers “unconditionally” and claims Mesa Airlines must pay the plaintiff and proposed class members at least the full minimum wage for all hours worked.