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News from ALPA International |
November 20, 2012 |
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PCL Airlines Pilots Respond to Bankruptcy Judge’s Ruling |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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” |
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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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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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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. 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
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. Return to top
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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l 1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW
| Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270 |
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