Problem viewing? Click here.

News from ALPA International
April 9, 2009—In This Issue:


Visit The ALPA Channel.
Island Air Pilots Reach Tentative Agreement
Island Air pilots announced that they have reached a tentative agreement with management after 16 months of contract negotiations. This agreement, if ratified by the pilot group, will provide wage increases, work-rule improvements, and furlough protection.

“We are pleased that after 16 months of negotiations in a challenging economic environment we were able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement with Island Air management,” said Island Air MEC chairman Capt. Charlie Ciszek. “This agreement rewards the dedicated, professional pilots of Island Air for their hard work while allowing our company to continue to grow and provide excellent service to its loyal customers.”

The Island Air pilots’ contract became amendable Nov. 30, 2007. Recognizing that they fly in a leisure market, the pilots and company began negotiating a short-term agreement that would provide job protections and improvements to pilots’ wages, benefits, and work rules, as well as bolster the company’s financial status amidst declining tourism and rising fuel prices in Hawaii. While the cost of fuel has dropped considerably, tourism levels are expected to remain low for the remainder of 2009.

(For more information, please click here.)

Return to top
ALPA Receives Collier as Part of CAST
ALPA proudly joins in the shared success of all Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) participating organizations in receiving the prestigious 2008 Collier Trophy for advancing aviation safety.

“CAST’s tremendous collective effort began more than 10 years ago with ALPA as a charter member,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president. “Today, through the tremendous resources provided by many organizations and the tireless dedication of hundreds of individuals, CAST has eliminated significant risks and created a quantum leap in aviation safety.”

In 1998, Vice-President Al Gore, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey created the Safer Skies Program, which led to the development of the government-industry Commercial Aviation Safety Team. CAST was charged with reducing the airline fatal-accident rate by 80 percent over a 10-year period from 1997 to 2007.

(For more information, please click here.)

Return to top
One Step Closer to Comair ASAP


Pictured L to R: Matthew Lamparter, CMR MEC Chair, and John Bendoraitis, Comair President

Today, the Comair MEC voted to approve and adopt a two-party letter of agreement to reinstate an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). Following the pilot group’s decision, MEC chairman Capt. Matthew Lamparter and Comair President John Bendoraitis signed the ASAP document. Commencement of the program is now contingent upon the completion of a three-party memorandum of understanding (MOU) among Comair management, ALPA, and the FAA.

The original Comair ASAP was cancelled on Oct. 8, 2008, due to disagreements on the application and scope of the previous MOU. ALPA and management have worked tirelessly to reinstate this invaluable data-collection tool and, with FAA approval, it is hoped that the program will provide cutting-edge policies and procedures to increase safety.

Both the MEC and management are hopeful that reinstatement of this program will also lead to a more collaborative future for the two.

Return to top
Hawaiian Pilots Show Resolve in Honolulu
As they enter their third year of contract negotiations, Hawaiian Airlines pilots proved their resolve for attaining a fair agreement with a strong showing at the April 6 informational picketing event in Honolulu.

Of the 405 Hawaiian pilots, 176 participated in the eight-hour picket, joined by pilots from Mesa, Island Air, and other groups. At several points during the day, the Hawaiian pilots operated three separate lines of picketers, thanks to the heavy turnout.

“When you consider that our number of active pilots is much less than the number we have on our seniority list and some are in training, on vacation, or on a layover, that’s almost as many pilots as could physically be here,” said HAL MEC chairman Capt. Eric Sampson. “Top that off with good press coverage and positive feedback from our customers, and you have an event that could not have been better.”

(For more information, please click here.)

Return to top
PSA and Piedmont Negotiation Committees Craft Joint Strategy
Negotiating Committee representatives from the two wholly-owned US Airways subsidiaries of PSA and Piedmont Airlines met in Herndon April 8–10 to continue discussions focused on unifying their negotiation strategies. The joint committee analyzed and compared contract data and coordinated openers. They drafted common goals of the pilot groups into contract proposals. Additionally, the pilots defined protocols for continued data sharing and joint communications. During this session, the pilots also introduced a proposal to increase coordination among all ALPA US Airways Express carriers.

Both groups are quickly moving toward their parallel negotiation openers, which they will present to their respective managements within the next few weeks.

Representatives attending this recent session from PSA included MEC chairman Capt. Mark Stanley, MEC vice chairman Capt. Jesse Coeling, Negotiating chairman Capt. Justin Chase, and Negotiating Committee member Capt. Dave McDevitt. Piedmont pilots included MEC chairman Capt. Chuck Martinak, MEC vice chairman Capt. Michael Berrevoets, Communications chairman Capt. Stacy Lutes, Negotiating Committee chairman Capt. Dale Mojta, Negotiating Committee vice chairman Capt. Colm McIvor, and Negotiating Committee members Capt. Pete Genero and F/O Matt Berson.

Return to top
NSSOC Discusses ALPA Security Priorities
The National Security Steering and Oversight Committee (NSSOC) convened for its biannual meeting in Herndon, VA, on April 8. ALPA vice-president–finance Capt. Randy Helling, attending as the national officer security-liaison to the Association’s Executive Council and Board of Directors, joined the National Security Committee (NSC) leadership and the Security Council (SC) chairman in the meeting. Capt. Bob Hesselbein (DAL) presented his outgoing brief and passed the NSC chairmanship to Capt. Robb Powers (ALA), who was recently appointed by ALPA president Capt. John Prater.

Hesselbein’s expression of appreciation to the Board of Directors for its prioritization of security-issue advocacy (CrewPASS, FFDO, secondary barriers, air cargo, and law enforcement liaison) was echoed by the entire NSSOC. Powers and SC chairman Capt. Kevin Bailey (EGL) agreed that the BOD’s specificity enables both groups to align security priorities with a unified effort and provides guidance for each MEC Central Air Safety Committee. Enhanced security training was identified as a particular priority for future development, as was the identification and utilization of Association members possessing specific expertise and skills of value to the ALPA security apparatus.

Return to top
FAA Briefs Industry on Proposed Crewmember Training Rules

On Tuesday, April 7, ALPA representatives attended a briefing by the FAA on its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), published January 12, 2009, to amend the regulations for crewmember and aircraft dispatcher training programs in domestic, flag, and supplemental operations. The purpose of the briefing was to give those who may be most affected by the proposed rule an opportunity to ask questions and seek information from the FAA regarding the intent of the proposal.

Approximately 100 representatives from throughout the aviation industry attended the briefing. Many questions were asked, and airline representatives expressed concerns regarding the cost to implement the changes proposed. Requests were made for additional public meetings to be held and for an extension to the comment period, which currently ends on May 12, 2009.

The NPRM is the result of an effort that began on May 3, 2004, when an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) was formed to review FAR Part 121, Subparts N&O. Forty ARC members, including ALPA representatives, worked for a year to develop recommendations to the FAA that were used to develop the N&O NPRM.

ALPA’s view is that the NPRM proposes several changes that will improve training and, thereby, safety. Some of these improvements include training and evaluation in a complete flight crew environment, LOFT in a full flight simulator during recurrent training, required loss-of-control and controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) training.

Return to top
Red River Flooding Leaves Many in Need; Contribute to AERF
The recent Red River floods have devastated hundreds of families in North Dakota, where approximately 50 ALPA members reside. The federal government declared parts of North Dakota a major disaster area, and the cleanup is just beginning.

If you and yours have been affected by the Red River floods, you can turn to the ALPA Emergency Relief Fund (AERF) for immediate financial assistance that can help you make it through this difficult time. Just fill out an online emergency relief application. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please send an e-mail to relief@alpa.org. If you know of any pilots in need of assistance as a result of this disaster, please encourage them to apply to the Fund.

To ensure that those pilots who are in need of assistance are taken care of, we are asking for contributions. Our AERF funds are diminishing, and your contributions make a difference in times of crisis. For more information about AERF and to make a donation, please visit http://www.alpa.org/relief/.

The AERF was established in 2005 to provide ALPA members (both current and furloughed/inactive) and their families with immediate financial assistance after they suffer financial hardship as a result of natural or man-made disasters, such as flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, landslide, air crash, fire, drought, or civil disturbance.

For information, or to inquire about how you can help, contact relief@alpa.org or call 1-888-FLY-ALPA, and select 3 for Membership Services.

Return to top
Feedback & E-mail Address Changes
Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at communications@alpa.org.

If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices, and once your postal forwarding order expires, you’ll no longer receive the magazine and other ALPA mail. You can do it yourself by going to https://crewroom.alpa.org and logging in. Go to “My ALPA” on the left side of the page, and from there, you’ll be instructed how to make the necessary changes.

If you don’t have access to https://crewroom.alpa.org, you can e-mail your requests by sending them to membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us what information needs to be updated.

Please note that it is not sufficient just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon.

Can’t remember your member number or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting membership@alpa.org.

Return to top

Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270