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News from ALPA International |
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November 13, 2009—In This Issue:
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One Step Closer to Pilots’ Eligibility for FMLA
Senate passes the Flight Crew Technical Corrections
Act by unanimous consent |
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 On
the evening of November 10, the U.S. Senate unanimously
passed S. 1422, the Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act.
If signed into law, the bill would amend the Family and
Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to close a gap in its coverage of
pilots and flight attendants.
This act is important to ALPA members because―once passed
into law―the Senate bill will give pilots and flight
attendants the ability to qualify for the same FMLA benefits
as other American workers: 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care
for an ailing family member, themselves, or for the birth or
adoption of a child.
The current law effectively excludes pilots from coverage
because it applies only to employees who work at least 1,250
hours in a 12-month period. Under the Senate bill, pilots
and flight attendants would be eligible for FMLA benefits if
they work a total of 504 hours a 12-month period.
Before S. 1422 becomes law, it will have to be passed by
the House of Representatives and signed by the president. In
May 2008, during the previous Congress, the House of
Representatives passed this bill by a vote of 402–9.
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ALPA Needs Your Help with Lithium Battery Regulation |
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 The
U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will
hold a field hearing on Monday, November 16, at 1:00 p.m. in Baltimore, Md., to
address the House hazmat reauthorization bill (H.R. 4016). This legislation
includes important new shipping and handling requirements for lithium batteries.
If enacted, this legislation could bring lithium-metal and lithium-ion batteries
within the scope of dangerous goods regulations. However, opposition is mounting
from airlines and battery manufacturers, and ALPA needs your help.The
Association has long advocated that the shipment of lithium batteries should be
regulated, just like other dangerous goods. An ALPA representative will testify
at the hearing, and the union encourages any available pilots, dressed in
uniform, to attend. The hearing will be held at the William Donald Schaefer
Tower, on the 16th floor, located at 6 St. Paul St. in Baltimore. Please be
present and show your support.
Click here to review a recent letter from ALPA president Capt. John Prater
to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair James Oberstar (D-Minn.).
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ALPA Participates in DOT State of the Industry Forum |
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Click on the image to view the photo slideshow. |
ALPA president Capt. John Prater joined airline industry stakeholders at the
Department of Transportation’s (DOT) invitation-only “State of the Aviation
Industry” forum on Thursday, where Secretary Ray LaHood announced the creation
of a federal advisory committee. The committee has been charged with examining
the airline industry, its competitiveness, and its ability to address the
evolving transportation needs, challenges, and opportunities of the global
economy.
“It’s important to evaluate where the airline industry is now and set a goal
for the future,” Prater said. “The AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department,
of which ALPA is a part, started that discussion by pushing for this forum. ALPA
expects the DOT and this committee to follow through with definitive actions
that will help put this industry back in its rightful position.”
LaHood made a public statement at the forum’s conclusion, encouraging the
participants to submit their top five pressing issues for the committee’s
consideration. He also solicited input on how many industry stakeholders should
serve on the committee, and what mix it should represent.
“I promise you that this will not be just another advisory committee,” said
LaHood. “Allow us to provide the leadership, and with your participation, we
will have a roadmap for the future of the aviation industry within a year.”
(For more information, please click here.)
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Runway Incursion Update—Keep Your Guard Up |
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For record-keeping purposes, the FAA tracks runway incursion data by government
fiscal year (October–September), so we are one month into a new tracking period.
Based on that small sample of data, the October 2009 numbers show a jump in the
percentage of runway incursions involving air carriers. While it's too early to
identify a trend, those numbers remind us that the threats are still present and
that, particularly while the winter season is upon us, constant vigilance during
ground operations is essential. For the latest issue of “Hold Short for Runway
Safety,”
click here.
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United Pilots Attend USS New York
Commissioning |
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Click on the image to view the photo slideshow. |
A contingent of ALPA pilots from United Airlines on November 7 attended the
commissioning of the USS New York, an amphibious assault ship that can
transport aircraft, armor, and a battalion of marines. For those who may not be
aware, the New York is a very special vessel; seven and a half tons of
steel from the former World Trade Center was melted down and forged into the bow
of the ship. Her motto is “Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget.”
Pilots from the JFK, DCA, and ORD domiciles attended the ceremony along with
Ellen Saracini, whose husband, Victor, was the captain of United Flight 175. The
event was held on Pier 86 in New York City so that all in attendance could have
a full view of the new vessel. Speakers for the commissioning ceremony included
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. David Paterson, New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Chief of Naval Operations
Admiral Gary Roughead, Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway, and
President of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Mike Peters.
At the conclusion of the speeches, a flyover of V-22 Ospreys and AV-8
Harriers preceded a 19-gun salute. Event attendees were then invited to take a
tour, during which time the ALPA United group met Cmdr. Curtis Jones, the first
commanding officer for the New York. The pilots had photos taken with
Jones and presented him with a patch, which was designed by United Capt. Fred
Pertuz in memory of our lost colleagues. This patch will accompany memorabilia
provided by the police and fire departments of the city of New York on board the
USS New York as she puts to sea.
(For more information, please click here.)
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Read the Latest Aeromedical Flyer |
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 When
you fly a trip, do you carry medical supplies with
you? The November/December issue of the
Aeromedical Flyer contains guidance and
recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) for information and medications
that travelers should carry.
This issue contains international requirements
for notification of Air Traffic Services when there
is a person on board your aircraft with a suspected
case of a communicable disease or other public
health risk. With heightened concerns for pandemics
affecting public health, the ALPA Aeromedical
Committee has developed a pandemic position with
guidance and recommendations for all ALPA
crewmembers, which is also addressed in this
publication.
Read the latest issue of the Aeromedical
Flyer.
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ALPA Makes Its Case on Pilot Training, Professionalism to ERAU CASE |
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 Following
on the heels of a successful presentation to the University Aviation Association
in late October, Capt. John Sluys (Alaska), an ALPA executive vice-president and
new chair of the Professional Development Group, made a well-received
presentation to the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Council for Aerospace
Safety and Security Education (CASE) on November 11. Leading a contingent of
ALPA pilots and staff to that meeting, Sluys presented ALPA’s supportive views
of the U.S. House of Representatives passed bill, H.R. 3371, which contains many
provisions to improve pilot screening, selection, training, and mentoring. Sluys
also described ALPA’s new initiative to enhance pilot professionalism by working
with institutions of higher learning and their students to fully prepare the
next generation of airline pilots for their chosen profession.
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ALPA was the only entity that covered the final legacy flight for its Midwest
pilot group. The Association has unique footage that no one else has, which has
led to more than 8,000 hits on The ALPA Channel. To see the video, please
click here.
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Unions representing hundreds of thousands of aviation workers today challenged
the industry, governments, and bodies such as the ILO, IATA, and ICAO to get
together to tackle the effects of the global financial crisis on the airline
industry. To read more, please
click here.
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ALPA’s Flight Time/Duty Time Committee New Website Now Available |
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 As
you know, ALPA’s Executive Board recently adopted a landmark pilot fatigue
policy.
Click here to view the site (you’ll be prompted to log on to the members’
site of www.alpa.org) that links to the new
policy as well as other educational materials about ALPA’s new FTDT policy.
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The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), created in 1951, provides the U.S.
Department of Defense with access to planes from U.S. airlines, including
ALPA-member carriers, during times of war and other national emergencies. U.S.
airlines pledge to provide their support when the military’s airlift needs
exceed its capabilities in exchange for exclusive access to government peacetime
business. On numerous occasions, the military has depended on U.S. flag air
carriers to ship troops and other resources to locations around the globe, an
important consideration (among other reasons) for maintaining the current limits
on foreign ownership of U.S. airlines. Return to top
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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes |
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| 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
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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
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