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News from ALPA International

August 28, 2012

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In This Issue:

ALPA Security Bulletin Addresses Political Conventions
Tampa is hosting the Republican National Convention this week, and Charlotte will be the site of the Democratic National Convention September 4-6. The Department of Homeland Security has designated both conventions as National Special Security Events.

Read ALPA Security Alert Bulletin 2012-01 to review recommendations from the Association’s Air Safety Organization for crews traveling to and from those locations.

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AERF Stands Ready to Help Members Affected by Isaac
Hurricane Isaac is looming in the Gulf of Mexico, poised to make landfall along the Gulf Coast on the seventh anniversary of Katrina. For those who live in the storm’s path, this is a particularly anxious time. Potentially affected ALPA members are reminded that the ALPA Emergency Relief Fund stands ready to assist you.

AERF provides for the immediate needs of ALPA pilots and their families who fall victim to widespread disasters. The fund was created in response to Katrina and has been an Association staple ever since.

To apply for a grant, sign on to the members-only portion of the ALPA website, click on the Relief Fund link, and complete and submit an application. To make a donation, send your check, payable to the ALPA Emergency Relief Fund, to ALPA Emergency Relief Fund, Cashiering Department, P.O. Box 1169, 535 Herndon Parkway, Herndon, VA 20172-1169.

Please apply for help if you need it, and be sure to contribute generously to this important Association asset.

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XJT Pilots Launch Family Awareness Program
ExpressJet ALPA leaders successfully kicked off their Family Awareness program with 140 people at the “roller coast” earlier this month. Pilots and their families arrived at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, ready to talk about what’s happening with contract negotiations, the merger, and other union business. Union leaders gave a status update, answered questions, and interacted with pilots and their families. Participants also enjoyed the roller coaster capital of the world and everything else the park has to offer—Adventure Island, Planet Snoopy, and more.

Additional events are being scheduled near the ExpressJet pilots’ other crew bases. ALPA leaders will take a walk on the wild side of Chicago on Sept. 8, make a splash near Houston Sept. 22, and head to Newark later this fall. The Chicago event will be at the Brookfield Zoo, where pilots and their families can explore 216 acres with approximately 450 species of animals and various exhibits. The Houston event will be at the Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark, which features waterslides, pools, and other activities for the whole family. Details on the Newark event are still being finalized.

Recognizing the critical role a pilot’s family plays in his or her decision-making process regarding career, livelihood, union involvement, and other issues, ExpressJet ALPA leaders established a Family Awareness program to educate pilot families and keep them informed of rapidly changing events. The program also provides family members, namely a pilot’s spouse or significant other, with a means to offer feedback to the elected leadership.

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Catch the Latest Aviation News! Read ALPA Daily
The aviation industry is changing faster than ever before. The new “ALPA Daily” feature at www.alpa.org will keep you informed of the latest industry developments and analysis from around the globe. Check it out each day to stay up-to-date on the news that affects pilots and the piloting profession.

ALPA Daily continues to grow in popularity, and members have contacted us asking if this information can be e-mailed to them directly. ALPA’s Communications and IT Departments are working toward that end. If you want to receive the electronic version of ALPA Daily, e-mail your name, ALPA number, and preferred e-mail address to communications@alpa.org. We’ll let you know when you can expect “home” delivery.

• Per the Dallas Morning News, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA at the new United Airlines today began to set the stage for negotiations on a single contract covering over 25,000 flight attendants. Read more.

• According to Gulf in the Media, with no fewer than 11 new destinations under its belt so far in 2012 and with another five more to commence before the year is out, one has to wonder just where growth from Emirates comes from and whether this behemoth will ever stop expanding. Read more.

Avionics Today reports that RNP promises more efficient routes and lower operating costs for operators. But airlines are expressing frustration at the relatively low take-up rates for the procedures. Read more.

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Stay Connected
Stay connected with your union, your profession, and your industry by reading Air Line Pilot magazine and watching monthly episodes of The FlightDeck.

Read about the many features of ALPA’s new “Mecca for Meetings” on page 36 of the August issue of Air Line Pilot magazine.

On the 18th installment of The FlightDeck, find out what new airports have adopted the Known Crewmember pilot screening program.

Remember that both Air Line Pilot and The FlightDeck can also be accessed from the members-only portion of the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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Go Green & Save
Making sure you’re taking advantage of peak energy efficiency in your home just makes good sense. And because you’re a union member, Union Plus helps you save on home energy improvements.

Use your Union Plus credit card to sign up for an HVAC annual maintenance plan with a union contractor and receive a $50 rebate. When they come to your house, you’ll appreciate the hard work of these SMART (Strengthening Manufacturing and Rebuilding Transit) union members, representing a recent merger of sheet metal and utility workers.

Union families can also receive rebates up to $500 when you use your Union Plus credit card to purchase a new heating/cooling system, new Energy Star appliances, insulation, or other green home improvements. See all your green benefits at unionplus.org/green.

And don’t forget that these unionized companies provide heating/cooling systems: Carrier, GE, or York.

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Correction
Last Thursday’s FastRead included a typo; we mistakenly referred to Air Transport International as American Transport International. To our ATI members, we apologize for this egregious misprint.

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FastFact
The International Air Traffic Association was formed at The Hague (Netherlands) on August 28, 1919. Today, this industry trade group of airlines is called the International Air Transport Association and is headquartered in Montreal.

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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 www.alpa.org and logging in. Go to “My ALPA” in the menu at the top of the page, and from there, you’ll be instructed how to make the necessary changes.

If you don’t have access to the members-only section of www.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.

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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
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