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News from ALPA International

November 20, 2012

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In This Issue:

PCL Airlines Pilots Respond to Bankruptcy Judge’s Ruling
The pilot leadership of Pinnacle Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, received word last Thursday that Judge Robert Gerber, United States Bankruptcy Court Southern District of New York, issued a ruling that disallows Pinnacle Airlines management’s motion to reject the pilot contract. The following is a statement from PCL MEC chairman Capt. Tom Wychor regarding the court’s decision.

“This ruling means that our pilots will continue to work under a negotiated contract rather than immediately facing unilaterally imposed terms of employment, and that is important. There’s no real victory in this outcome, because our only future as Pinnacle pilots will come with a consensual deal that addresses Pinnacle’s significant financial hurdles while also recognizing our pilots’ needs. ALPA is committed to remaining at the bargaining table until we are able to reach a tentative agreement with management. We want to accomplish that goal as expeditiously as possible.

“We recognize the need for real cost savings, but we put the future of our carrier at risk when we consider terms that will not allow Pinnacle to attract and retain qualified pilots in the very near term.”

Read more.

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Fast-Track Negotiating Process Begins at CPZ
The more than 400 pilots at Minneapolis-based Compass Airlines have begun bargaining on a new contract under an expedited process that is designed to yield an agreement in less than a year. Negotiators at Compass sent their contract opener to the company on November 19 and will open direct negotiations before December 31.

Unlike other pilot group negotiations, the Compass talks will be governed by a letter of agreement (LOA) the MEC signed in 2007, when it was a wholly-owned Northwest Airlines affiliate. The LOA calls for a 330-day negotiating period, with the union and company entering mediation-arbitration if they are unable to reach a joint agreement by the end of April 2013. A mediator-arbitrator is required to issue a binding award no later than November 25, 2013, if the two sides can’t come to terms.

Formerly a Delta wholly-owned subsidiary, Compass is now owned by Trans States Holdings.

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Latest Security Bulletin Addresses Concerns in Israel/Gaza
ALPA Aviation Security today issued Security Bulletin 2012-01, titled “U.S. Embassy in Israel Issues Travel Warnings.” The bulletin alerts pilots about the growing tensions in Israel and Gaza, and offers eight recommendations to anyone flying in that vicinity.

Read ALPA Security Bulletin 2012-1.

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Capt. Moak Meets with HAL Pilots
Continuing his outreach to individual ALPA pilot groups, ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak traveled to Honolulu last week to meet with Hawaiian Airlines pilots. Over the course of the two-day trip, Moak visited the HAL crew room and attended a Family Awareness dinner.

Moak and Director of Representation Bruce York also met with Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley. One of the nation’s most successful carriers, Hawaiian is enjoying strong earnings and is hiring many new pilots to fuel its rapid expansion into new markets in Asia and the East Coast.

The ALPA president also did an in-depth interview with Hawaii’s largest newspaper.

The trip was Moak’s first return to the islands in more than 25 years. The son of an enlisted Marine, he graduated from Kailua High School in 1975 and returned to Hawaii in the early 80s to fly F-4 Phantoms for the Marine Corps.

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ALPA ProStans Hosts Training Event
More than 40 ALPA pilot volunteers from 11 carriers attended Professional Standards training on November 13 in Houston. The event was cosponsored by the Continental and ExpressJet MECs and held at their joint office complex.

Training topics included the basics for MEC ProStans Committee work plus extensive presentations on merger-related issues, a meticulous examination of the ALPA Code of Ethics, and realistic, hands-on case scenarios. Attendees also discussed the demand for confidentiality, neutrality, and unbiased peer-to-peer conflict resolution.

The current syllabus is used for both initial and recurrent training and was designed to be taken on the road to reach a broader range of pilot representatives and to standardize the services available. More sessions are planned for May and November of next year.

Read more.

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IFALPA Celebrates Move to Montreal
Yesterdays’ IFALPA Daily News reported that, on November 13, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations and its president, Capt. Don Wykoff (DAL), officially inaugurated their newly established headquarters in Montreal. The Federation had been United Kingdom-based since its inception in 1948.

IFALPA is pleased to join associates in aviation safety, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transportation Association in the city unofficially dubbed the “aviation capital of the world.”

Through its 12 standing committees, IFALPA remains dedicated to providing pilots with representation, services, and support to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide.

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Pilots in Atlanta Area Needed for Georgia Tech Study
The School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech is seeking glass-qualified airline pilots to participate in simulator-based research into aviation safety with a focus on supporting the pilot in busy air traffic environments. The simulator is simple, based on desktop computers, and any current glass-cockpit Part 121 or Part 135 pilot is welcome.

The research is being conducted at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and lasts four hours plus breaks. Participants will each receive a $200 stipend in addition to reimbursement for on-campus parking. Any transportation and lodging costs are the responsibility of the pilot volunteer, and sessions are currently being scheduled for dates starting November 18 and running through early December.

If you want to participate or would like more information, please contact Justin Mullins at jmullins6@gatech.edu or (919) 384-5849.

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Get the Scoop! 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 members can sign up to receive ALPA Daily in their e-mail:

Visit this link.
• Log in with your ALPA member number and password.
• Select “E-mail Distribution Lists.”
• Check the box for “ALPA Daily.”
• Submit your request.

According to the Seattle Times, Spirit Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, will continue to protest each day through Wednesday at airports across the country as an estimated 24 million passengers take to the skies during the busy Thanksgiving travel week. Read more.

“Right now, we’re getting hit pretty good with a green laser,” radioed the special agent manning the controls of an FBI helicopter. He was one of hundreds of pilots nationwide last year who reported that individuals on the ground were directing laser pointers at low-flying planes and helicopters, per a report from WTOP.com in Washington, D.C. Read more.

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Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States each year on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, this year’s holiday has already passed, falling on the second Monday of October. Although the origins differ, the intent of the celebration is the same—to acknowledge all that we have to be thankful for. Whether you are with your family or flying a trip this Thursday, we hope you have a pleasant and safe holiday . . . and have even more to be thankful for in the coming year.

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FastFact
On November 20, 1919, Tucson Municipal Flying Field became the first U.S. municipal airport, serving Tucson, Ariz. Today, that facility is known as Tucson International Airport.

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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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