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Page 1: August 2010 Air Line Pilot 1 - Air Line Pilots Association ... · 4 Air Line Pilot August 2010 Letters to the editor may be submitted via regular mail to Air Line Pilot, Letters to

August 2010 Air Line Pilot 1

Page 2: August 2010 Air Line Pilot 1 - Air Line Pilots Association ... · 4 Air Line Pilot August 2010 Letters to the editor may be submitted via regular mail to Air Line Pilot, Letters to

pILOT ASSISTANCE

SAFETY

SECURITY

CARGO

JUMpSEAT

PROFESSIONALISM

ALPA HOSTS 56th AIR SAFETY FORUM

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AUGUST 30–31, 2010CAPITAL HILTON WASHINGTON, D.C.http://safetyforum.alpa.org

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Capt. Prater addresses ALPA’s committee chairmen

during their meeting in Herndon (see article on page 29).

WILLIAM A. FORD

AUGUST 2010 • VolUme 79, NUmber 6

COMMENTARY4 mailbag

5 Pilot to PilotStrategic Planning Defines Our Union

8 Weighing InALPA: The Next Generation

9 Pilot Commentary Be Prepared

FEATURES16 Spirit Strikes19 Jazz Pilots ratify TA20 one Step Closer To ADS-b22 Dunlop II makes recommendations

36 Cleared to DreamALPA’s Valued Role as SAFECON Supporter

37 History lessonsALPA Pilots Stand Their Ground

38 We Are AlPA ALPA Resources and Contact Numbers

About the CoverALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater (left), and F/O Linden Hillman, the AirTran pilots’ Master Executive Council chairman, talk to reporters outside the AirTran shareholders’ meeting in Milwaukee, Wisc. Photo by Dustin Safranek.

Air Line Pilot (ISSN 0002-242X) is pub lished monthly, except for the combined January/February and June/July issues, by the Air Line Pilots Association, Inter national, affiliated with AFL-CIO, CLC. Editorial Offices: 535 Herndon Parkway, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169. Telephone: 703-481-4460. Fax: 703-464-2114. Copyright © 2010—Air Line Pilots Association, Inter-national, all rights reserved. Publica tion in any form without permission is prohibited. Air Line Pilot and the ALPA logo Reg. U.S. Pat. and T.M. Office. Federal I.D. 36-0710830. Periodicals postage paid at Herndon, VA 20172, and additional offices.

DEPARTMENTS6 Front linesALPA in the News

12 As We Go to PressLate-Breaking ALPA News

25 AlPA@WorkPCFC Chair Reflects on ALPA’s All-Cargo Agenda; Mock Accident Investigation Tweaks ALPA’s Tin-Kickers; ALPA Presents Trust-Based Security Concept to TRAP; Strategically Breaking Down Barriers

31 From the HillALPA Acts on Wall Street Reform; ALPA Urges White House to Push FAA Reauthorization, Flight-Time/Duty-Time Rulemaking; UAL, CAL MEC Chairs Testify on Proposed Merger; Congressmen Call for Lithium Battery Final Rule

35 AlPA ToolboxClipping Your Way to Financial Security

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4 Air Line Pilot August 2010

Letters to the editor may be submitted via regular mail to Air Line Pilot, Letters to the Editor, 535 Herndon Parkway, P.O. Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169, or by e-mail to [email protected].

mAIlBAG

Editor’s note: The following two letters are a sampling of the many we received regarding the Spirit pilots’ successful 5-day strike, which ended June 16 when the pilots reached a tentative agreement with management.

Kudos to Spirit pilotsI want to comment on the actions taken by the Spirit pilots during their recent strike. I think that they did

cross the picket line merely enticed management to try to win the strike. This dragged out the strike for a month and cost tens of millions of dollars.

With Spirit, no one crossed the line, so management lost coming out of the gate. This saved the company huge amounts of money…and likely saved some management jobs, too. With the United strike, shortly after the pilots returned to work, the chief pilot was fired and then the Board of Directors fired Chief Executive Officer Richard Ferris….

Spirit pilots set a high standard for future negotiations and strikes. I hope we all remember it well.Capt. Jerry Bradley (United, Ret.)

I just wanted to say congrats and thanks to the Spirit pilots. They’re leading the way, and I only hope we are allowed to strike and can do as well. Best of luck to them all. I’ll be keeping up with the news via my APA website. I know all the guys I fly with are behind them and hoping for their success.Capt. Frank Rodrick (American)

Thanks AlPAThis letter is to express deep ap-preciation on behalf of the students, parents, and staff of Aviation Career Enrichment for the outstanding presentation made by F/O Linden Hillman, AirTran Airways Master Executive Council chairman, during this school year.

Aviation Career Enrichment is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging metro-Atlanta youths ages 9 to 18 to consider the oppor-tunities in choosing aviation careers. We have been in existence since 1980, and many of our graduates have gone on to become professionals in the aviation industry while others have gone on to be gainfully employed in corporate America.

Each month we invite profession-als from various aviation organiza-tions to visit our operation to observe our students in a classroom or labora-tory environment and to make pre-sentations about their careers. I want to highly commend F/O Hillman for a presentation that was well-prepared and enthusiastically received by our students. They asked many very pertinent questions, and his answers were well received. He is extremely dedicated to mentoring and exposing our youths to careers in the aviation industry….

F/O Hillman was able to convey [to our students] a philosophy not only to live by daily but one that will also enable the students to compete in the real world later if attempting to get a job in corporate America. F/O Hillman’s presentation to our stu-dents will serve as a compass to allow them to navigate through life during their journey to find that ideal career.

Thank you for the community service support ALPA has provided through F/O Hillman’s presentation.Julius Alexander, President, Aviation Career Enrichment, Inc.

I’m writing to express my thanks for supporting the regional top pilot award at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s flight competi-tion. The $500 gift I received from ALPA was greatly appreciated and helped me add instrument instructor qualifications to my flight instructor certificate.

I’m looking forward to joining you all in the airline industry soon!Sincerely,John Lazzi

Editor’s note: For coverage of the Nation-al Intercollegiate Flying Association’s flying competition, see “Cleared to Dream,” page 36.

their ALPA colleagues proud in every respect.

I read in the newspapers here in south Florida as management tried to scare everyone to death, i.e., if the pilots strike we will fold the airline and everyone will be without a job. Management showed how the pilots’ pay scale would increase incredibly, forgetting to mention that it was over 5 years and assuming a 90-hour month.... My main point, though, is that [not one pilot] crossed the picket line.

I was in the 1985 strike at United Airlines in which somewhere near 4 percent of the pilots crossed the line…. Getting that percentage of pilots to

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 5

by Capt. John Prater, ALPA President

Strategic Planning Defines our Union

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At every strategic planning session, we have taken on difficult and sometimes divisive issues, including airline mergers. We have planned, and planned well, for this challenge by methodically and dispassionately analyzing each scenario to propose changes to strengthen ALPA’s policies.

We are facing many challenges ahead of us, and one of the most daunting is mergers. We knew this challenge would confront us—it was only a matter of time. But instead of wishing it away, we have fortified our arsenal with a new tool: our strategic plan. And since taking office as your

president, I have expanded our strategic planning efforts, which have become the very foundation of our union.

Our Board of Directors, Executive Board, Executive Council, pilot subject-matter experts, and key staff have all participated in this union-wide endeavor. At every strategic planning session, we have taken on difficult and sometimes divisive issues, including airline mergers. We have planned, and planned well, for this challenge by methodically and dispassionately analyzing each scenario to propose changes to strengthen ALPA’s policies.

We have experienced everything from four-way corporate mergers at regional airlines to the mega-merger at Delta/Northwest. Each time, we have taken the lessons learned and have applied them to our constantly evolving strategic plan. And while our union leaders have learned from the past, they must be prepared to take advantage of every opportunity to improve contracts and emerge with a strengthened union—as opposed to retreating to individual corners to battle for years while management continues to enjoy cheap pilot labor. There’s no denying that mergers will change the landscape of the airline industry, but we have adapted and thrived during these changing times, and we will continue to do so.

Today, United and Continental are knee-deep in merger discussions. And the breaking news that Pinnacle is buy-ing Mesaba and Trans States is purchasing Compass has confirmed that our instincts about industry consolidation are correct. We have opened lines of communication and have built unity within our ranks to stay the course during the merger process. I believe that it’s working. I have told our managements, Wall Street, and members of Congress and Parliament that pilots demand respect in future mergers, that pilots must be involved up front if a merger is to suc-ceed, and that those managements that work with us will do better than those that fight us.

That message applies to each of us as well. As evidenced through the success of the Delta/Northwest merger and the Fee-for-Departure Carrier MEC Working Group, our U.S. and Canadian pilots are working together to secure their futures.

Now when mergers are announced, we are prepared with action plans and messages, echoing the solidarity among our pilot groups. Take the recent news regarding Pinnacle and Trans States. As you might have read in the pilot groups’ coordinated press releases responding to these announce-ments, “Our union leaders remain optimistic that these transactions will translate into increased financial stability and greater job security.” (See “As We Go To Press,” page 13.) Our plans also ensure that we won’t allow managements to pit pilots against each other. I am proud of these ALPA lead-ers. They have acted thoughtfully and swiftly to prepare for the hard work ahead regarding these corporate transactions.

This is the kind of action that defines our union, validates our strategic plan, and illustrates why being an ALPA mem-ber definitely has its privileges.

And our union proudly, and without hesitation, continues to help furloughed members and those whose airlines have shut down or have severely decreased in size, like Aloha, ASTAR, ATA, Independence Air, Midwest, and Skyway.

By working together, we can overcome any obstacles that we encounter. Don’t get me wrong, I know we still face great challenges in the airline industry, but I know that our pilot groups, both large and small, will be successful. We’ve pro-vided a good start for them so they can continue working together through whatever the future may hold. I also know that these pilots will not walk that path alone. We have the support of 53,000 pilots across the U.S. and Canada. And together, We Are ALPA!

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6 Air Line Pilot August 2010

FroNTLINES AlPA in the News

AlPA reps Talk with DHS Secretary Napolitano

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ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, had what he later described as a “very positive” hour-long meeting with Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 29. Joining Prater were Capt. Robb Powers (Alaska), chairman of ALPA’s National Security Committee, and Jim Andresakes, supervisor of aviation security in ALPA’s Engineering and Air Safety Department. Noah Kroloff, DHS chief of staff for policy, and Art Macias, chief of staff, office of the administrator, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), also participated in the discussions.

The ALPA reps talked about the Association’s four greatest concerns regarding airline and airport security: the need for (1) improvements in the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program, (2) secondary cockpit barriers on passenger and all-cargo airliners, (3) transition to a trust-based aviation security screening system, and (4) improvements to security in the all-cargo domain that will achieve one level of safety and security equal to that of passenger airlines.

Regarding the FFDO program, Prater pointed out that the program needs more money (ALPA has asked Congress to double the program’s budget). He said the size and organiza-tion of the inadequately staffed managerial structure that administers the FFDO program also needs an over-haul. One measure of the program’s budgetary woes is a recent slowdown in the rate of acceptance of FFDO candidates into the program.

As for secondary cockpit barriers, Prater reiterated ALPA’s strong support for this equipment, noting, “We believe they add much to the security equation.” Secondary barriers force a would-be hijacker to reveal his or her intent and slow down the hijacker, thus giving the flight crew time to take appropriate defensive actions. United Airlines has

installed secondary barriers in some of its passenger fleet at a very modest cost. An RTCA Special Committee (SC)—a government-industry group that develops technical standards for the FAA—is developing standards for all airlines to use regarding installing these barriers. RTCA SC-221 is working to establish minimum operational performance standards (MOPS) for the hardware and accompanying crew procedures.

Prater and Powers briefed Napolitano on ALPA’s proposal to change the current U.S. airport security screening system from one that focuses primarily on so-called threat objects to a “trust-based” screening system that streamlines the passage of vetted passengers and employees through screen-ing and focuses on detecting persons with malicious intent. Napolitano agreed in principle, “acknowledging value in what we had to say,” Powers reported. She also cited efforts along these lines already used at some foreign airports to screen passengers bound for the United States.

Regarding needed improvements in all-cargo security, the ALPA reps thanked Napolitano for improvements that the DHS has made in cargo security. However, the bulk of those improvements have been made regarding belly freight on passenger airliners. Though some improvements have been

Capt. John Prater, center, met with Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in June. Also at the meeting was Capt. robb Powers (Alaska), chairman of AlPA’s National Security Committee.

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 7

made in the all-cargo domain, work remains to be done to achieve one level of safety and security for passenger and all-cargo airlines.

The ALPA reps pointed specifically to the need for (1) re in-forced cockpit doors on all-cargo airliners, as is required on passenger airliners—both for retrofits and new freighter de-signs, and (2) better security training for all-cargo flight crews.

Training on the “Common Strategy” to thwart terrorism is mandatory for pilots and flight attendants who work for passenger airlines, but is voluntary in the all-cargo world.

The conversation briefly touched on the lack of require-ments for a security identification display area (SIDA) on cargo ramps. Cargo operations are not afforded the protec-tions that passenger airlines, with SIDA restrictions, have had for some time.

Court Upholds New Nmb election rule On June 28, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman of the

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied a request by the Air Transport Association (ATA) for a pre-liminary injunction to temporarily block a new balloting rule change issued by the National Mediation Board (NMB) on

May 10 and originally scheduled to take effect June 10. Judge Friedman’s decision cleared the way for the major

rule change, which makes it easier for airline employees to organize. The change went into effect July 1. The new rule says that the NMB will allow union elections in the rail and airline industries, which are governed by the Railway Labor Act (RLA), to be decided by a simple majority of the ballots cast, no longer requiring an outright majority of all eligible employees, and no longer counting nonparticipants as “no” votes. ALPA and other unions have heralded the change as an important reform, more in tune with basic democratic standards.

The ATA suit argued that the NMB does not have the authority to bring its rules in line with practices long used in public elections and labor elections under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

Court decisionIn a 30-page decision, however, Friedman explained why he denied ATA’s request for a preliminary injunction and granted the NMB summary judgment on ATA’s claims seek-ing to overturn the new majority voting balloting rule. He concluded that

•  under the Administrative Procedure Act and the RLA, the Board provided a rational and acceptable basis for its deci-sion to change the long-standing balloting rule; •  the RLA is at least ambiguous as to what the term “major-ity” means in context—thus the NMB’s interpretation of the statute that it is entrusted to interpret and apply is clearly authorized and permissible; •  the Board permissibly concluded that changed circum-stances since the adoption of the original outright majority balloting rule more than 75 years ago made the rule change essential today in the Board’s view; •  the agency was justified in concluding that the new ballot rule, which would no longer presume that all nonpartici-pants are voting against all representation, would more fairly and accurately discern voter intent; and •  the Board’s decision was otherwise supported by other al-lowable reasons, and was the product of a permissible, open administrative process.

The Court also rejected the notion that the Board violated its obligations by declining to issue new decertification rules and found that the Board’s decision to aggregate the votes of unions that did not receive a majority in run-off elections is a permissible judgment that is left to the agency’s discretion.

Finally, the Court reiterated an earlier ruling concluding that the Board did not act in an impermissibly close-minded or prejudged manner in adopting the rule, and that any po-litical disagreements between the three Board members about the new rule did not undermine its validity. At press time, ATA had not yet decided whether to seek an appeal of Judge Friedman’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Absent an unusual stay pending any such appeal, however, the new rule will remain in effect.

An issue of fairnessALPA has long favored removing the fundamental bias of the previous rule, which was unique to U.S. railroad and airline employees governed by the RLA. No other group of U.S. private-sector employees votes for union representation under such anti-representational assumptions.

Most unionized American workers are covered by the NLRA, whose balloting rules have long authorized establish-ment of a union as long as the majority of the votes cast are in favor of collective bargaining. As has long been the case in elections for public officials, non-votes do not count in the NLRA election process.

labor has its sayThe NMB announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on Nov. 3, 2009, to solicit feedback from industry

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8 Air Line Pilot August 2010

FroNTLINES AlPA in the News

stakeholders. On December 7, ALPA and other member unions of the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department testified at a public hearing in Washington, D.C., support-ing the proposed rule change. ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, told the Board, “It’s a realistic but important update that ensures basic fairness and recognizes that conditions for voting have changed since the 1930s,” when the original NMB balloting rules were adopted.

The NMB issued the NPRM after receiving a petition from the AFL-CIO. The request came shortly after President Obama appointed Linda Puchala, a former senior media-tor, to the Board. Puchala joined Capt. Harry Hoglander, a former ALPA executive vice-president and TWA master executive council chairman, who was first appointed to the NMB in 2002 and reconfirmed in 2009.

The NMB voted in a 2-to-1 decision to modify the 76- year- old rule; both Puchala and Hoglander supported the new “majority of votes cast” election rule while the third NMB member, Elizabeth Dougherty, opposed the rule change.

U.S. and eU Sign open Skies ProtocolThe United States and the European Union signed a second-stage Open Skies agreement in Luxembourg on June 24 that, for the first time in an air transport agreement, includes a stand-alone article that underscores the value of high labor standards. In addition, the agreement does not include language sought by the European Union to allow foreign cabotage or foreign control of U.S. airlines.

In March 2010, the United States and the European Union initialed a protocol amending the 2007 “first-stage” air transport agreement. Now that the protocol has been ratified, it completed the obligation contained in the first-stage agreement for the two sides to engage in “second-stage negotiations,” which include the discussion of further liber-alization of traffic rights, wet lease of European airline air-craft to U.S. airlines on U.S. domestic routes, and additional foreign investment opportunities. During the negotiations leading up to the initialed protocol in March and now the final signed agreement in late June, the European Union sought the right for its airlines to carry U.S. foreign cabotage traffic and conduct domestic wet-lease operations on domes-tic routes, as well as the elimination of restrictions on foreign investment in U.S. airlines.

The United States did not agree to any of these requests. The two sides did agree to have the Joint Committee (the body established to monitor developments under the agreement) undertake an annual review of any new develop-

ments toward changes in the U.S. ownership and control rules. Any actual amendment of the ownership and control rules continue to be left to Congress.

The new article on labor recognizes the value of high la-bor standards and notes that the Joint Committee is to regu-larly consider the effects of the agreement on airline workers and develop responses to those concerns where appropriate. ALPA maintains that the principles in this article must be a fundamental part of future air services agreements, including any accord with China.

ALPA participated as a member of the U.S. delegation and worked with the U.S. negotiators, the Obama administra-tion, and the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO throughout the 2 years of negotiations to advance the interests of the Association’s members and U.S. airline work-ers. The union continues to be involved in the early stages of air services talks between the United States and China as a member of the U.S. delegation.

Dolan Heads Hong Kong Pilots Union

The Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association, which represents the more than 1,400 flight crewmembers of Cathay Pacific, announced recently that Capt. Dennis Dolan (Delta, Ret.), a former ALPA first vice-president, is the organization’s new general secretary.

During his extensive aviation career, Dolan has served as president of IFALPA for two terms and chairman of the Delta Master Executive Council. Before flying for Delta, he was a pilot for Western Airlines and a Vietnam veteran, flying F-4s for the U.S. Marine Corps.

AlPA lauds Senate Confirmation of Safety, Security AppointmentsCapt. John Prater, ALPA’s president, in late June hailed the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of four appointments by the Obama administration to important U.S. government posi-tions that deal directly with aviation safety and security.

Commenting on the Senate confirmation of Michael P. Huerta as FAA deputy administrator, Prater observed, “The U.S. airline industry has before it a wide range of opportuni-ties to enhance safety for all who rely on our nation’s air transportation system. We are pleased that this important

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position at the FAA has been filled and that another critical step has been taken in ensuring that the regulator is poised to act on these opportunities.”

Huerta headed up his own consulting firm, which advised clients on transportation policy, technology, and financing. From 1993 to 1998, he served in two senior positions at the Department of Transportation during the Clinton admin-istration. He also held senior positions in the cities of San Francisco and New york.

Prater said, “Mr. Huerta brings to the post in-depth experi-ence in transportation policy. We look forward to working together with Mr. Huerta and his colleagues throughout the FAA to swiftly take on pressing issues such as modernizing pilot flight- and duty-time regulations and to continue to achieve the highest safety standards for our nation’s airline passengers, crews, and cargo.”

The Senate also confirmed John S. Pistole as assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration).

Pistole practiced law for 2 years before beginning his career in law enforcement as an FBI special agent in 1983. He rose through a variety of positions of increasing responsi-bility and sensitivity within the Bureau.

After 9/11, the FBI director appointed Pistole to the coun-terterrorism division, first as deputy assistant director for operations, then as assistant director. Pistole then was ap-pointed executive assistant director for counterterrorism and counterintelligence. In October 2004 he was promoted to deputy director, the No. 2 position in the FBI. He is a recipi-ent of the 2005 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive. In 2007, Pistole received the Edward H. Levy Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity.

“The U.S. airline industry cannot rest in pursuing ever greater security for airline passengers, crews, and cargo,” Prater declared. “The confirmation of John Pistole to lead the Transportation Security Administration is a promising and long-awaited action in creating a full leadership team at the Administration.

“Mr. Pistole’s solid qualifications and extensive back-ground will position him for success in leading the TSA and our country toward what must become a trust-based aviation security system,” Prater continued. “Such a sys-tem would allow well-vetted passengers to move quickly through airport security while focusing greater resources on those about whom less is known or whose motivations are unknown or in doubt. The pilots of ALPA look forward to continuing our excellent partnership with the TSA to ensure that our passengers, crews, and cargo benefit from

an extraordinary level of security in our nation’s air trans-portation system.”

The Senate’s confirmation of Dr. Earl F. Weener and Dr. Mark Rosekind as the newest members of the National Transportation Safety Board restores the NTSB to five members. Prater said, “The pilots of ALPA are pleased that, with the confirmations of Dr. Earl F. Weener and Dr. Mark Rosekind by the U.S. Senate, the NTSB stands at its full complement of transportation safety professionals.”

Prater pointed to Dr. Weener’s noteworthy achievements in creating solutions for some of aviation’s most serious safety issues, including reducing runway incursions, ad-dressing controlled flight into terrain, and working toward eliminating factors leading to accidents during approach and landing.

In describing Dr. Rosekind’s professional background in pilot fatigue, Prater underscored that his expertise will serve the industry well as the Safety Board pursues its long-standing goal of modern flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements for pilots that are based on science. “Transportation worker fatigue has been featured on the NTSB’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements since its inception in 1990,” Prater added. “We are eager to work with Dr. Rosekind to address the criti-cal issue of pilot fatigue.

“ALPA has supported the extremely important work of the NTSB for decades,” Prater concluded. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the Safety Board now at full strength, under the leadership of Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman, to pursue the highest possible standard of safety for our industry.”

deGroh elected IFAlPA Vice-Chair

Capt. Bill deGroh (American Eagle) was elected vice-chairman of Operations by IFALPA’s Aircraft Design and Operations Committee at its meeting in Berlin in June. In addition to his IFALPA responsibilities, deGroh holds the positions of the ADO Group chair in ALPA’s Executive Air Safety Committee and vice-chair of the Eagle

Central Air Safety Committee. He flies the ERJ-145 and has been active in ADO work both with ALPA and IFALPA for many years, including representing ALPA on an FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee, and several aircraft performance analysis groups. He also heads ALPA’s aircraft manufacturer liaison efforts.

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10 Air Line Pilot August 2010

AlPA: The Next Generation

WeIGHINGIN

by Capt. Paul rice, ALPA First Vice-President

Your AlPA leaders are keenly aware of the need for change, and many opportunities for

change exist. In ALPA’s nearly 80 years of existence, it has evolved. And it’s up to all of us to keep it moving—and in the right direction!

recently I read an article in a european pilot union’s magazine lamenting the fact that few european airlines sponsor (pay for) the initial training of their “air cadets.” Although this kind of sponsor-ship existed in the U.S. for a few short years in the mid-1960s, the primary sup-

ply of airline pilots in North America came from our armed forces back when I made the deliberate career decision to become an airline pilot. While I didn’t have the opportunity to train as a military pilot, I am proud to have been a part of the first generation of pilots who went to college specifically to become an airline pilot.

But that was nearly 35 years ago. And what did we expect back then? We expected the same career as that of our pre-decessors. But as new airline pilots in the late 1970s, we were the generation that began our careers at the dawn of deregu-lation. We weren’t ready for it, and neither was our union. But we survived, emerging stronger and smarter in the end. We paved the way for all airline pilots in the areas of safety, advocacy, and contract negotiations in the then-new era.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of our pilot members and future union leaders. I’m proud to say that another strong, engaged generation of airline pilots has emerged. Together, our two generations are ready to make a positive difference for our profession. So how will our union best support our leaders and members?

First, we need to involve everyone in the process, and that means effective communication. yet our generations com-municate a little differently! Within ALPA, we’ve established several social media tools in addition to more-traditional means to keep our members up-to-date. And it’s working. Feedback from our members indicates our efforts have been well-received. However, that’s the easy part.

The next step will be more difficult. It involves looking inward…at our union’s organizational and financial infra-structure and determining how we prepare ALPA for the future. Some might suggest that by exposing any weaknesses ALPA’s structure might have, we’re making our union vulnerable—but they’re wrong. We’re doing what must be done—we’re evolving.

The Special Representational Structure Review Committee is tasked with addressing the need to look at ALPA’s current organizational structure. With industry consolidation a reality, do our various governing bodies still work? Should the Executive Council be modified? What about master

executive councils and local councils? Are they structured correctly to best serve our members? Although many changes have been made over the last 10 years, it’s time to see through the eyes of the next generation of leaders and prepare ALPA for its—and our—future.

What about our financial infrastructure? It must be changed to be more efficient, more transparent, more user-friendly, and more supportive of our members. The Special Committee for Finance, Structure, and Services—a new ALPA committee—will carry out that mission.

What about other areas of our profession? Pilot training, for instance? How do we continue to set the standard? The stakeholders in our industry are well aware that when it comes to airline safety, we are unmatched in our perspec-tive, knowledge, and expertise—not to mention devotion. Through our newly formed Professional Development Group, we have established a gateway to reach future airline pilots, and we’ve created an opportunity to get involved with university training programs. Should we seize the op-portunity and get involved by working with pilot training universities, government regulators, and the International Civil Aviation Organization? yes, we must, at every level, if we are to reshape our profession into something we can all be proud of.

your ALPA leaders are keenly aware of the need for change, and many opportunities for change exist. In ALPA’s nearly 80 years of existence, it has evolved. And it’s up to all of us to keep it moving—and in the right direction! We know we need to break down the barriers within our union. To do so, we need to improve and increase our information exchange with each other, with other unions, and with regulators—both domestically and internationally. By doing so, we will create a better union. A union that is more re-sponsive to our members, our profession, our industry, and most importantly, our next generation of airline pilots.

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 11

be PreparedPIloTCOMMENTARY

by Capt. Sam Hatchwell Spirit Local Council 109 Secretary-Treasurer and MEC Grievance Committee Co-chair

It’s difficult to refute the need to be prepared to meet life’s chal-lenges. In fact, preparation is often the key to success.

During my years as an ALPA member, I have flown for two airlines and have endured a strike at each—most recently the 5-day work stoppage at Spirit. That’s something I’m proud of, but not some thing that I wish to repeat for a third time. For those of you who have not had to experience a strike, count your bless - ings. They are difficult, stressful situations that should not be taken lightly. When you read statements in your ALPA communications from pilot leaders who say that our goal regarding collec tive bargaining is a negotiated settle ment, take my advice and believe them.

In early 1997, I was an Air Alliance pilot, flying as part of the Air Canada Jazz network, and my pilot group was on strike. I toed the line like my fellow members, and together we met this challenge by standing up for what we knew was right and by supporting each other. In my mind, that is what being part of a union is all about.

Although our strike was a success, I wasn’t prepared for it; I wasn’t person-ally ready. I had read the material ALPA circulated and had talked with my local council officers, but the messages hadn’t sunk in. I didn’t think about what our pilot group needed to do to sustain this kind of effort. I didn’t ready myself in the way that we, as pilots, prepare for the potentially difficult situations we can face in the cockpit.

However, I like to think that I learned from this experience.

When the National Mediation Board released the Spirit pilots and management into a 30-day cooing-off period in May, I didn’t blink an eye. As a local council officer for my pilot group, I knew that the Spirit Master Executive Council was in regular con-tact with ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, and the Association’s Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee. These resources were invaluable as they

helped us ramp up our infrastructure and prepare for all possible scenarios.

I knew that the Spirit pilot leaders were keeping us informed about the status of negotiations and what to expect if we were compelled to strike. I also knew that we were working to solicit the support of other pilot groups to send a message to management that Spirit pilots were fighting a just cause and that others were ready to back us up. And, sure enough, when June 12 rolled around, we were joined on the picket line by a cross-section of ALPA members, wishing us well and lending their time and energy to make our campaign a success.

This second time around, I also did my homework. Before the strike was declared, I walked the informational

picketing line every chance I could and worked in our Ft. Lauderdale strike center to make sure that I was doing my part. I put my finances in order so that I could endure a lengthy work stoppage, if one became necessary. I prepared myself mentally and also talked to my wife about what could happen if we declared a strike so that she could be ready. As a father and husband, as a pilot of Spirit Airlines, and as an ALPA member, I completed my checklist.

We have yet to ratify our tentative

agreement, but I’m confident that we will. Our pilot leaders are conducting road shows to explain the details of the deal so that our members can make an educated decision…just as we planned.

The Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” is one that we should all take to heart. ALPA conducts strategic planning at the Board of Directors level, and individual pilot groups prepare plans to support their collective bargaining efforts so that all contingencies are considered. The rest is up to us.

I want to thank everyone who supported us throughout our entire negotiations process, including those 5 critical days in June, and I want you to know now that, if the need arises again, I plan to return the favor.

I have flown for two airlines and have endured a strike at each—most recently the 5-day work stoppage at Spirit…. This second time around, I also did my homework…. As a father and husband, as a pilot of Spirit Airlines, and as an ALPA member, I completed my checklist.

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12 Air Line Pilot August 2010

On July 1, AirTran Master Executive Council officers and ALPA staff met with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to share their views of negotiations and to offer a roadmap for bringing closure to more than 5 years of contract talks. After the meeting, the NMB encouraged the Association and management to meet outside of mediation in an effort to narrow the list of open contract items. The NMB indicated that it would decide the next steps after examining the results of those sessions.

ALPA had proposed conducting marathon negotiating ses-sions with the goal of providing an environment conducive to productive talks, allowing the parties to find common ground on the most difficult issues remaining, including scope, scheduling, retirement, insurance, and compensation.

“We have said all along that we want a deal that is good for our pilots and good for the company,” said F/O Linden Hillman, the pilot’s MEC chairman. “These items are not mutually exclusive, and we believe that our pilots need to be treated as an asset and ally in the success of our company.”

While the MEC pursues more time to talk with manage-ment, it is also ramping up its Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee (SPSC) activities. Efforts are under way to secure space for a strike center near the airport. “We’ve learned a lot from visiting the Spirit pilots’ strike center and from spending time with our brothers at Jazz. We plan on applying what we’ve learned back in Atlanta,” said F/O Daren Black, the pilot group’s SPSC chairman. “We want our strike center to be a hub from which we can coordinate our members, events, and news media outreach.”

Family Awareness events are also planned, including a family night at an upcoming Atlanta Braves game.

“We’re rapidly approaching the end of the line,” said Hill-man. “Our pilots demonstrated their unity with almost 98 per - cent of them authorizing a strike. Now it’s time to close the deal. Only by standing firm will we be successful at attaining our goals and making AirTran an airline that we can be proud of.”

Earlier this summer, AirTran pilots conducted infor-

mational picketing in Milwaukee, Wisc., to deliver their demands to company shareholders. AirTran management did not allow ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, into the meeting, so instead he delivered the pilots’ message to the public through televised interviews outside the meeting.

Adamus to Co-chair CArAC Fatigue management Working GroupEfforts to reform and update Canadian flight- and duty-time limits and minimum rest requirements took a step forward in late June with the first meeting of the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC) Technical Committee in Ottawa to establish terms of reference for the Fatigue Management Working Group and to select the members of the Working Group.

Capt. Dan Adamus (Jazz), president of ALPA’s Canada Board, was nominated by the Technical Committee’s executive chairman, Don Sherritt of Transport Canada, to serve as the co-chair of the Working Group. The other co-chair will be Transport Canada’s Jacqueline Booth. The Technical Committee confirmed both nominations.

Capt. Martin Gauthier (Air Transat), chairman of the ALPA Flight Time/Duty

Time (FT/DT) Committee for Canada, will be ALPA’s mem-ber on the Working Group. The Association will be allowed two technical advisors—Capt. Percy Wadia (Jazz), his Master Executive Council’s FT/DT chairman, and legal and govern-ment affairs representative Al Ogilvie.

Other ALPA representatives who attended the June 28–30 meeting included Wadia; Capt. Bob Perkins (Jazz), a member of his pilot group’s Airport Standards Committee; senior staff engineer Real Levasseur; and Ogilvie.

AirTran Pilots Approach end of the line

Capt. Adamus

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 13

Heads Up! Data Verification required

Atlantic Southeast recalls All Furloughed PilotsThe first and only pilot furlough in the 31-year history of Atlantic Southeast Airlines has come to an end. All furloughed Atlantic Southeast pilots have received recall notices to return to work.

Because of the declining economy, Atlantic Southeast opt-ed to furlough 136 pilots in 2009. With assigned block hours from Delta increasing, additional pilots are now needed.

Capt. David Nieuwenhuis, the pilot group’s Master Executive Council chairman, said, “We’ve been working toward and hoping for this positive news for months. Speaking on behalf of all the Atlantic Southeast pilots cur-rently on the line, we are glad to have our coworkers and friends back on the job.”

AlPA Commends Administration’s Intent To Nominate Woerth as Ambassador to ICAo

“ALPA applauds the administration’s intent to nominate Capt. Duane E. Woerth as the U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO],” said ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, following Presi-dent Barack Obama’s announcement of his intent to nominate Woerth to the position.

“Capt. Woerth brings to this important post a deep under-standing of the global airline industry, garnered through his experience as an airline pilot, international union president, expert representative on government and industry advisory committees, and member of airline boards of directors.

“The airlines in the United States and Canada operate in a global air transportation system. While North America has maintained an extremely high standard of aviation safety and security, the airline passengers, crews, and cargo on this continent are engaged more than ever with air transportation operations around the globe. As a result, the efforts of ICAO to enhance aviation safety and security the world over and to address issues such as environmental protection through the international community could not be more vital.

“The pilots of ALPA stand ready to continue to contribute to ICAO’s indispensible work. We hold complete confidence that Capt. Woerth will provide the outstanding leadership necessary to promote the very highest standards in air transportation here in the United States and around the globe. We urge the U.S. Senate to swiftly hold a hearing and confirm Capt. Woerth as ambassador to ICAO.”

Pilot leaders optimistic About Pinnacle Purchase of mesabaIn early July, pilot leaders at Pinnacle, Mesaba, and Colgan responded to the announcement of Pinnacle Airline Corpor-ation’s purchase of Mesaba Airlines for $62 million.

“I’m pleased to see Pinnacle pursue additional opportuni-ties to grow the airline and augment its ability to compete in a tough economic environment,” said Capt. Scott Erickson, the Pinnacle pilots’ Master Executive Council chairman. “With the addition of Mesaba to the Pinnacle-Colgan fam-ily, I’m hopeful Pinnacle management will move swiftly to resolve pilot labor issues and streamline the workforce to maximize our competitive edge. We are committed to work-ing together to ensure positive results for employees of all three airlines and the shareholders.”

Pinnacle, which flies as Delta Connection, purchased Colgan Air in 2007. Colgan Air operates as Continental Connection, United Express, and US Airways Express. Mesaba had been a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc., and flew as Delta Connection.

“Mesaba pilots have a long history of working closely with Pinnacle pilots on a number of issues we share as Delta Connection partners,” said Capt. Mark Nagel, the Mesaba pilot group’s MEC chairman. “As our two airlines carry out this joint venture, we are confident that our con-tinued coordination will result in a positive outcome for our pilot groups.”

“Ever since Pinnacle purchased our airline and Colgan pilots joined ALPA, our two pilot groups have built a strong relationship,” said Capt. Mark Segaloff, the Colgan pilots’ MEC chairman. “We look forward to a similar relationship with Mesaba pilots as we all work to achieve our mutual goals for our pilots and our airlines.”

“ALPA’s 53,000 members will continue to support the Pinnacle, Mesaba, and Colgan pilots as this transaction progresses,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president. “The decades of experience and vast resources of ALPA will sup-port our members as they work with their management teams to protect and enhance their careers.”

Trans States and Compass Pilot leaders respond to Announced SaleTrans States and Compass pilot leaders in early July ad-dressed Trans States Holdings’ purchase of Compass Airlines.

“The announced acquisition of Compass Airlines by Trans States Holdings (TSH) comes as little surprise to a segment of the industry that was likely to begin consolidating as its network partners continue to do the same,” said Capt. Jason

As of July 7, when you log on to the members-only site of www.alpa.org, you will first be prompted to verify your contact information, classification, seat position, and local council assignment. All you need to do is either confirm or update your information using a simple process that takes only seconds to complete. This will help keep ALPA’s records up-to-date.

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14 Air Line Pilot August 2010

Continental and United express Pilots Plot New Course

Ruszin, the Trans States pilots’ Master Executive Council chairman. “While TSH plans to operate Compass Airlines as a separate, wholly owned airline, we remain optimistic that the addition of Compass under the TSH umbrella not only will prove to be a benefit to the bottom line of THS, but will also provide greater economic and job security benefits equally to all Compass and Trans States pilots.”

TSH is acquiring Compass Airlines for $20.5 million. Compass flies under the Delta Connection banner and, until being purchased by TSH, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc.

“I remain cautiously optimistic about the news, as there are still many questions that need to be answered,” said Capt. Vince Barnhart, the Compass pilot group’s MEC chairman. “Regardless, I look forward to working with our fellow ALPA brothers and sisters at Trans States as we move forward.”

“The Trans States and Compass pilots have at their dispos-al the far-reaching resources of their 53,000-member-strong international union behind them,” said ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater. “We will continue to support them as they work their way through the integration process to improve and enhance our members’ careers and job security.”

AlPA members Participate In AFl-CIo ‘Next Up’ Young Workers SummitF/O John Schumacher, ALPA’s Membership Committee chair, and Capt. Mark Segaloff, the Colgan pilots’ Master Executive Council chairman, recently took part in the first-ever AFL-CIO “Next Up” young Workers Summit in Washington, D.C. This conference brought together AFL-CIO union leaders, primarily in the 18-to-35-year-old age range, for a chance to share common issues.

The Spirit Airlines pilots’ then-potential strike took center stage at one point in the conference, capturing the atten-tion of the conference delegates and the AFL-CIO national officers. ALPA’s AFL-CIO brothers and sisters gave a roaring ovation to support the Spirit pilots’ fight.

Delegates of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the Association of Flight Attendants

Pilot leaders from United express and Continental express airlines, including Atlantic Southeast, Colgan, CommutAir, expressJet, mesa, and Trans States, meet in Houston, Tex.

Pilot leaders from United Express and Continental Express airlines, including Atlantic Southeast, Colgan, CommutAir, ExpressJet, Mesa, and Trans States, met recently in Houston, Tex., as part of a new joint standing committee to discuss and develop plans in the event that the proposed merger of Continental and United takes place. The pilots focused on developing strategies to reshape the fee-for-departure system for both airlines’ networks and on helping to bring about posi-tive change for both regional and mainline pilots.

Among the topics the group discussed were coordinating safety and training initiatives (ASAP, FOQA, and AQP) and enhancing pilot career options across airlines and networks. The pilots developed work groups to explore specified topics, develop solutions, and report back to the joint standing committee at future meetings.

After the meeting, members of the committee commented: “We are at an extraordinary crossroads for the future of fee-for-departure airlines. While we learned from watching the developments in the airline network that occurred after the Delta/Northwest merger, we are still at the

beginning stages of the United/Continental merger. We have a singular opportunity, if we can speak with one voice and unity of purpose, to influence how management and ALPA-represented pilot groups will work in the new system. We see this as the potential to significantly advance the airline piloting profession, bring much-needed stability to airline jobs, and open up an expanded range of career options for pilots, throughout all levels of the mainline and regional airline networks.”

ALP

A S

TAFF

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 15

In memoriam“To fly west, my friend, is a flight we all must take for a final check.”—Author unknown

2005F/O Christopher A. Hammer US Airways March

2008Capt. Arthur H. Lindstrom, Jr. United August

2009Capt. Richard R. Reilly Eastern SeptemberCapt. E.E. Stendahl Northwest OctoberCapt. R.A. Boutilier Eastern December

2010Capt. D. Max Diehl Eastern JanuaryS/O Charles W. Moore United JanuaryCapt. Philip G. Karafilis, Jr. TWA FebruaryCapt. John R. Ladd United FebruaryS/O R.A. Zopfi Flying Tigers FebruaryCapt. William C. Chamberlin, Jr. TWA MarchCapt. R.J. Hayes, Jr. Eastern MarchCapt. Michael A. Minsch MarkAir MarchF/E Richard D. Dahse ATA AprilCapt. C.W. Davenport Alaska AprilCapt. N.L. Edwards Eastern AprilCapt. Donald S. Evans TWA AprilCapt. F.H. Evans, Jr. Eastern AprilCapt. Leroy W. “Shag” Fetterman Delta AprilS/O Frederick R. Gentry TWA AprilCapt. Joseph Wade Grant TWA AprilCapt. A.R. Hall, Jr. Frontier AprilCapt. James L. Harmon Delta AprilCapt. H.L. Harrell Delta AprilCapt. R.B. Hyde, Jr. Eastern AprilF/O James B. Jones, Jr. Braniff AprilCapt. H.A. McGregor Airlift April

Capt. Frank J. Mihalic United AprilS/O Norman H. Nordlund TWA AprilCapt. Leslie C. Raatz North Central AprilCapt. H.J. Renker Delta AprilCapt. Lyle T. Shelton TWA AprilCapt. John F. Stephens American Eagle AprilCapt. Douglas H. Waddell Northwest AprilCapt. Burleigh B. Wood United AprilCapt. John T. Barrett, Jr. Northwest MayCapt. Louis M. Belisle Eastern MayCapt. Frederick M. Buesser FedEx MayS/O Donald T. Dorman TWA MayCapt. P.C. Gallagher US Airways MayCapt. Robert P. Gauss Eastern MayCapt. Paul W. Gilliland, Jr. Delta MayCapt. E.R. “Ed” Grimm United MayF/O Jack E. Harden Delta MayF/O Paul J. Hendrickson United MayCapt. James E. Klein Transamerica MayCapt. William P. McDonald Braniff MayCapt. James M. McNulty Continental MayCapt. J.A. Murphy, Jr. Pan American MayF/O David H. Richmond FedEx MayCapt. Edwin L. Shaw, Jr. Eastern MayS/O Frank A. Smith TWA MayCapt. J.J. Stumpf Delta MayCapt. C.W. Tinsley, Jr. Eastern MayS/O Kenneth C. Waring TWA MayCapt. Russell C. younce TWA MayCapt. Hulcy L. “Lynn” Delorme, Jr. Pinnacle JuneCapt. Hank E. Kiley, Jr. Delta June

Compiled from information provided by ALPA’s Membership and Council Services Department

(AFA), and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) also attend-ed the conference, which gave the ALPA reps an opportunity to strengthen the union’s working relationship with these other unions.

AlPA Touts Pilot Professionalism, Need for Highest-Fidelity Simulator TrainingCapt. Rory Kay (United), ALPA’s Executive Air Safety Chairman, led a contingent of pilots and Engineering and Air Safety Department staff to the 2010 U.S./Europe International Aviation Safety Conference, which was held recently in New Orleans, La.

The 3-day Conference, whose theme was “Global Safety Management: Evolving a Common Culture,” drew hundreds of industry, government, and labor attendees from around the globe. Kay challenged the recent singular focus of some government and industry representatives on pilot profes-sionalism and cockpit discipline, noting that these are prin-ciples that pilots put into practice every day. He emphasized the importance of a professional corporate environment, pointing out that the commitment to professionalism must start at the top. Kay urged airlines to adopt a strong code of ethics commensurate with ALPA’s Code of Ethics, which was adopted in 1956.

Capt. Chuck Hogeman (United), chairman of ALPA’s Human Factors/Training Group, addressed the Conference about the use of simulation for flight training. He empha-

sized that non-motion devices have their role, but that they cannot replace motion devices when it comes to helping pilots achieve proficiency in high-level aeronautical tasks. Hogeman called on airlines to maximize the use of line-oriented flight training and the highest-fidelity motion simulators for training on recovery from unusual attitudes and airplane upsets.

U.S. and eC Agree on Civil Aviation r&D The FAA and the European Commission have concluded talks “for the establishment of a memorandum of coopera-tion in civil aviation research and development,” specifi-cally addressing the modernization of their respective air traffic management (ATM) systems. The agreement will enable both parties “to jointly pursue their common objective to develop and deploy greener and more efficient air transport systems through a legally binding coopera-tion framework, based on commonly agreed reciprocity principles.”

In a statement issued by the EC, the memorandum “will be able to address through cooperative activities any research and development issues in civil aviation such as safety, security, environment, performance, alternative fuels, aircraft design, unmanned aircraft systems, suborbital airplanes, satellite-based communications, and related ATM applications.” Through this agreement, “the EU and the U.S. will coordinate their technical efforts in support of global standardization of ATM systems through the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

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16 Air Line Pilot August 2010

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 17

une 12, 2010, 5:01 a.m.: Dawn breaks. After twice extending the strike deadline, manage-ment’s final-hour offer attempts to pit the Spirit pilot group against itself and that’s the last straw.

Following 4 years of fruitless negotiations, Spirit pilots make their stand, calling for a lawful strike that would span 5 days. What follows is the chain of events that convinced a recalci-trant management to change its tune. SolidaritySpirit pilots, no longer flying the line, reported for strike duty, taking up posts on the picket line, in the call center, or

at computers, tracking down their fellow pilots to spread the news and operating procedures. Strike centers buzzed with activity in prepara-tion for daily demon-strations, news media interviews, and constant Pilot-to-Pilot® communi-cations that permeated

the 450-strong Spirit pilot com-munity to the core and transcended pilot group lines throughout ALPA and across the industry.

F/O Mark Bailey, DTW strike center coordinator, recognized the untold number of pilots nationwide, both union and non-union, who made it clear to their managements that they would honor Spirit’s picket lines and not fly struck work. “There were a lot of guys we never met who were not ALPA members, who may not have had any union representa-tion at all, who stood behind us,”

Bailey said. “They weren’t carrying a picket sign, but they were there, too.”

From the sultry streets and sidewalks of Fort Lauderdale and Atlantic City to a fenced-in area quickly dubbed the “Dog Pen” in Detroit, hundreds walked picket lines that snaked beside busy roadways and empty Spirit gates. Numbers grew exponentially as the strike progressed, as Spirit pilots and their families, other ALPA pilots, flight attendants, and various workers from the labor movement braved the heat to send managements around the nation a

J

main photo: Spirit pilots on the picket line at Atlantic City International Airport on the first day of the strike. Above: F/o Carlos Cueto, DTW pilot rep, is interviewed by the press. Top: Spirit aircraft sit parked during the strike.

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18 Air Line Pilot August 2010

clear message: this is our stand, and we will not fall. In fact, during the Spirit strike, not one ALPA-represented pilot at Spirit crossed the picket line to fly. And aside from a single charter flight, management was unable to convince any other air-line to do any flying for Spirit during the strike.

Scare tacticsFaced with such staunch industrywide solidarity, Spirit management resorted to typical scare tactics in a failed at-tempt to divide and conquer. Attempting to sway the pilots’ resolve, President and CEO Ben Baldanza sent a series of e-mails throughout the strike. The first message detailed management’s version of the last-ditch-effort proposed contract, peppered with phrases to instill doubt, such as “IS yOUR CAREER BEING SACRIFICED FOR THE BENEFIT OF LARGER ALPA CARRIERS?” and “Do not be bullied by a national agenda to help AirTran, Jazz, Pinnacle, Trans States, Continental/United, and others.” (Emphasis as shown in the original message.)

When that didn’t work, Baldanza sent a “Message from Ben,” with answers to a series of invented “frequently asked questions,” one of which included “Why do you think

there’s an ALPA national agenda influencing these negotia-tions?” By Day 4 of the Spirit strike, management decided to furlough its flight attendants, an action that somewhat back-fired as they showed up at the Spirit picket lines in droves to support the pilots’ determination to secure a fair and equitable contract.

SuccessOn June 15, at the request of the National Mediation Board, the par-ties headed back to the negotiating table in Fort Lauderdale and reached a tentative agreement just one day later. “We’re pleased to have a tentative agreement that acknowledges the sacrifices that each of us has made to ensure the success of Spirit Airlines,” said Capt. Sean Creed, the Spirit pilots’ Master Executive Council chairman. “This agreement provides increases in pay and retirement benefits, protects our work rules, and ensures our job security at Spirit. After 5 days on the picket line, this agreement also gets this pilot group and this airline back where it belongs—in the air.”

As this issue of Air Line Pilot goes to press, Spirit MEC lead-ers are still preparing their pilots for a major decision. This time, it’s by holding road shows in domiciles throughout their network so that every Spirit pilot can cast an educated vote on the contract ratification ballot.

Visit www.alpa.org/spiritstrike for complete strike coverage and to view pictures and videos and read day-by-day strike stories and letters of support.

Above: Saturday night, Day 1—Spirit pilots and supporters gather in Detroit as the strike begins to show their solidarity. below: A huge group of picketers in Fort lauderdale on Day 3 of the strike. right: Pilots in Florida get briefed at the end of the strike.

uring the strike, not one ALPA-represented pilot at Spirit crossed the picket line to fly. D

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 19

“The support of our pilot volunteers, the pilots and their families, and the resources of ALPA were

critical components in reaching our contract goals in this round of bargaining.”—Capt. Brian Shury, Jazz MEC chairman

n July 9, after almost 2 years of planning and coordination between the Jazz Master Executive Council and the Negotiating Committee, the pilots ratified a new collective bargaining agree-

ment. Of the eligible pilots, 90 percent voted. Of those, 86 percent voted in favor of ratifying the agreement, which has an expiry date of June 30, 2015.

“Jazz pilots have spoken with a unified voice, and we expect management to deal responsibly and expeditiously with the implementation of the new agreement,” said Capt. Brian Shury, the pilots’ MEC chairman.

Jazz negotiators sought and achieved a contract that reflects improvements in critical areas. “I applaud all Jazz pilots for giving the Negotiating Committee the support and power to do what we needed to do at the bargaining table,” said Capt. Paul Peace, the pilots’ Negotiating Committee chairman. “With their help, we were able to make enormous gains in the contract, including major improvements in pension, benefits expenses, per diem, and pay rates.”

“We essentially rewrote all 28 sections of our agreement to reflect our new reality as [pilots of] a large, growing, and diverse airline—at the same time providing enough flexibili-ty for the airline to grow and meet the contract expectations of our very diverse, experienced, and talented plot group,” said Shury.

Details of the new agreement were presented to the Jazz pilots in five separate road shows across Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.

The pilots’ Negotiating Committee undertook more than 13 months of intense discussions at the bargaining table while having the backing of Pilot to Pilot® volunteers, who executed an effective communications campaign under the direction of the Jazz Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee (SPSC). “It is the first time that our MEC used the full resources of the Jazz SPSC, and we were impressed with the results,” said Shury. “The support of our pilot volunteers, the pilots and their families, and the resources of ALPA were critical components in reaching our contract goals in this round of bargaining.”

Jazz pilots received a $5 million Major Contingency Fund grant in May 2009 that provided the resources to set up an effective SPSC from which their P2P initiatives evolved to create a support network at all five Jazz pilot bases across Canada.

The pilots were working under a collective bargaining agreement that had an expiry date of June 30, 2009. They were seeking what they called a “career contract” that would provide stability and recognize their contributions of more than a decade to the success of the airline.

The new agreement reflects the hard work and endur-ing solidarity of the Jazz pilot group. During 2000–2001,

O

Unity and Perseverance Help Jazz Pilots Achieve Their Goalsby lynn Konwin, ALPA Senior Communications Specialist

the merger of four regional airlines—AirBC, Air Nova, Air Ontario, and Canadian Regional—resulted in the forma-tion of Air Canada Regional. The consolidation process was completed in 2002, and the airline became Air Canada Jazz. The pilots’ solidarity continues to play an important role in their success. “We learned during the restructuring process of 2003–2004 that working together as a unified group puts us in the strongest possible position to achieve the outcome we all seek—a viable, profitable, and sustainable airline that recognizes the pilots’ contributions,” Shury said.

Reaching the agreement, however, was made more dif-ficult when the federal government inserted itself in the negotiations, raising the threat of back-to-work legislation in the event of a lawful strike. “In the face of a govern-ment that effectively tried to limit our ability to bargain freely, we regained control of the process and demon-strated our commitment to a free collective bargaining process and achieving a fair agreement for our members,” noted Shury.

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20 Air Line Pilot August 2010

GPS, the U.S. Department of Defense global positioning system, has revolution-ized navigation, both on

and above Earth’s surface. And soon—though perhaps not soon enough—GPS will also revolutionize aircraft surveillance and air traffic manage-ment. An FAA final rule issued in May sets the stage for this vital upgrade to the U.S. air transportation system.

ALPA has long been a proponent of upgrading the nation’s air transporta-tion system in order to increase safety, efficiency, and capacity.

Secondary surveillance radarThe current system of air traffic surveil-lance relies on a combination of pri-mary and secondary surveillance radar (SSR). Primary radar, invented during World War II, relies on electronic radiation emitted by a radar antenna and reflected back to the antenna from the aircraft’s metal skin. SSR requires a transponder on the aircraft to respond to an interrogating signal from the SSR ground equipment, which is collocated with the primary radar.

Neither primary radar nor SSR has the accuracy, reliability, or other attributes needed to support current aircraft capabilities, much less the air transportation system of the future. Moreover, because radar relies on line-of-sight transmissions to and from ground-based antennae, vast regions of oceanic, polar, and desert airspace offer no ATC surveillance coverage at all. Even in domestic airspace, moun-tainous terrain often means no radar coverage at lower altitudes.

ADS-bAutomatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) is the answer to radar’s intrinsic shortcomings. A “cornerstone” technology for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), ADS-B transmits GPS-derived position and other important flight information to ATC ground receivers, which then transmit that information to air traffic controller radar screens; this function is called ADS-B Out.

In the future, aircraft equipped with what is referred to as ADS-B In will be able to receive this same information and provide it on cockpit displays. ADS-B In offers a host of potential

traffic and enabling air traffic control-lers to provide more precise spacing of aircraft. The ADS-B In applica-tions envisioned for airline cockpits include enhanced visual acquisition, enhanced visual approaches, final approach and runway occupancy awareness, and airport surface situ-

to use in creating the final rule, which requires aircraft flying in certain airspace to broadcast their position via ADS-B. The rule also mandates that the broad-cast signal meet specific requirements regarding accuracy, integrity, power, and latency (i.e., time elapsed between calculating and broadcasting position).

One Step ClOSer tO

ADS-BAlPA’s input preserved important safety protections in the FAA’s new rule mandating standards and schedule for the next-generation ATC surveillance systemby Jan W. Steenblik, Technical Editor

applications, because it will involve onboard ADS-B equipment receiving data from ground stations and other equipped aircraft.

When cockpits are properly equipped with ADS-B, pilots and controllers will, for the very first time, see the same real-time displays of air traffic, thus substantially increasing flight crews’ situational awareness of

NPrm to final ruleIn October 2007, the FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) setting forth the agency’s plans for ADS-B Out standards and a schedule for implementation and mandated use.

ALPA representatives partici-pated in an FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) that developed rec-ommendations submitted to the agency

The ground equipment to support ADS-B Out must be in place by the end of 2013; the appropriate equip-ment on aircraft, and use mandated, by Jan. 1, 2020. That’s not as soon as ALPA would like—the Association called for setting that deadline 5 years

ational awareness. Improved accuracy of aircraft position information and increased situational awareness will lead to increased airspace and airport efficiency, reduced fuel burn and emissions, and greater operational flexibility.

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 21

FAA

CH

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the requirement for Mode A/C or S transponders in specified airspace.

“The problem with that is, TCAS doesn’t see ADS-B, so we opposed that proposal,” explains Capt. Tim Flaherty (Delta), chairman of ALPA’s Air Traffic Services Group, “and we prevailed. The final rule continues the requirement for transponders and TCAS.

“We fought long and hard for TCAS, and no ADS-B applications—even those on the drawing board—would

Capt. Paul Nelson (Comair), ALPA’s ADS-B Project Team leader, offers a very personal line pilot perspective on the importance of preserving TCAS: “TCAS has saved my life. We were in the soup and missed an altitude assignment. The controller wanted us to descend and maintain FL290; the first officer and I thought he said FL250. We got the RA and followed it. A few months later, I got a call from [an] FAA [representative] about the altitude bust. He said the radar data showed we came within 400 feet of the other airplane.”

ALPA is working with government and industry, through RTCA Special Committee 147, to develop standards for a next-generation collision avoidance system—i.e., one that will incorporate Mode S and the much more accurate ADS-B position signal. Flaherty notes, “Developing the logic is the big issue.”

Meanwhile, TCAS is very much alive —and helping to keep tens of thou-sands of flightcrew members and their millions of passengers that way.

A new FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) chartered to develop recommended standards for ADS-B In met for the first time at FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on July 1. Capt. Tim Flaherty (Delta), chairman of ALPA’s Air Traffic Services Group, is the Associa tion’s representative to this important group of aviation stakeholders. He is supported by ALPA staff engineer Mark Reed and other resources in the Association’s Engineering and Air Safety Department.

Opening the kickoff meeting, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt lauded the expertise of the participants returning from the ADS-B Out ARC that developed recommendations that the agency con-sidered in writing its final rule on ADS-B Out. Babbitt, a former Eastern Airlines captain and past ALPA president, char-acterized ADS-B In as “game-changing” technology that the United States needs to implement.

The ADS-B In ARC is scheduled to meet 2 days each month for the next 2 years.—JWS

AlpA, InDuStry tO DevelOp reCOmmenDeD StAnDArDS fOr ADS-B In

airspace, as ALPA urged, and in Class B and C airspace, which is where ALPA members would obtain most of the advantages of ADS-B In.

Responding to the ADS-B Out NPRM, general aviation interests also argued that, with the advent of ADS-B and a requirement for aircraft owners and operators to equip aircraft with ADS-B Out transmitters, the FAA should drop

adequately replace TCAS as a stand-alone, independent collision avoidance system. ‘Conflict detection’ is a very rudimentary ADS-B application that would serve the same function as today’s ATC traffic advisories—i.e., ‘based on what I know now, this traffic could present a conflict’—but it won’t give you an RA [resolution advisory] or otherwise resolve your conflict.”

One Step ClOSer tO

ADS-BAlPA’s input preserved important safety protections in the FAA’s new rule mandating standards and schedule for the next-generation ATC surveillance systemby Jan W. Steenblik, Technical Editor

earlier—but it does set a date certain for this important change to occur.

The final rule makes the U.S. the only nation to permit dual-link (and dual-equipage) ADS-B. General avia-tion interests prevailed in their desire to have the final rule written so as to permit GA pilots to meet the ADS-B Out requirements by equipping with a universal access transceiver (UAT),

which uses 978 MHz, versus the more expensive but more capable 1090ES broadcast link, which operates on the 1090 MHz frequency. (The two systems cannot talk to each other, so the ground-based part of the system will have to “translate” and relay informa-tion on the appropriate frequency to each type of ADS-B avionics.) The final rule declares that airlines will have to equip with 1090ES, which will be required to demonstrate navigational accuracy performance (the “hockey puck” of airspace that can be said to contain the aircraft) with a radius of 0.05 nautical miles, or about 300 feet.

Protecting Class A airspace and TCASThe NPRM proposed requiring 1090ES ADS-B equipment above FL240, which is the floor for requiring DME. ALPA, however, made the case for protecting all Class A airspace by setting the floor for 1090ES ADS-B at FL180. The final rule requires ADS-B Out in all Class A

2018 eStImAteSReduce Delays

21%

Reduce Fuel Use

1.8M GallonsCumulative

Reduce CO2 Emissions

14M Tons Cumulative

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22 Air Line Pilot August 2010

Dunlop II MakesRecommendations

In the January/February issue of Air Line Pilot, I re-ported that on Sept. 11, 2009, the National Media-tion Board (NMB) created a joint airline and railroad industry committee to review the overall performance and effectiveness of the agency in delivering media-tion services and to make recommendations to im-

prove the delivery of this “core function.” On April 16, 2010, Dunlop II transmitted its final report to the NMB. What follows is a summary of that report.

The Committee (known as Dunlop II) was comprised of Robert DeLucia from the Airline Industrial Relations Conference; Kenneth Gradia from the National Carriers’ Conference Committee; Joel Parker from the Transportation Communications Union/IAM; and me. Joshua Javits, a for-mer NMB member and currently an arbitrator and mediator, was appointed facilitator.

The first thing Dunlop II did was to reach out to industry users of the NMB’s services to understand their concerns and perspectives across a broad spectrum. The Committee solicited the views of labor and management representatives, independent observers and experts working in these indus-tries, and Board members and senior staff. Bruce york, direc-tor of ALPA’s Representation Department, and Arthur Luby, assistant director, were among those who spent substantial time with the Committee sharing the Association’s views and suggestions.

The industry and the economyThe effect that the airline industry has on the U.S. economy can’t be overstated. In 2008, the airline industry moved 741 million passengers (more than 2 million per day), transported 18 million tons of cargo, operated more than 11 million flights, and generated $185 billion in revenues.

On a broader scale, The Economic Impact of Civil Aviation on the U.S. Economy, an FAA 2009 report, estimated that the industry was responsible for 12 million jobs and $1.3 trillion in economic activity.

At the same time, the economic shocks of the past decade have significantly affected employees and employment levels. During the last decade, more than 170,000 airline em-ployees lost their jobs while many others suffered substantial reductions in wages, working conditions, benefits, and job security. Contracts negotiated during the last decade are now being renegotiated with many already in mediation.

The Committee concluded that the Board needs to maintain a delicate balance between attempting to prevent or minimize disruptions of service and helping to promptly settle negotiations.

Delivery of mediation servicesDunlop II concluded that the NMB should make every effort to ensure that its mediation services are designed and used to foster stable labor relations and promote timely, peaceful, and effective resolutions of negotiations. We focused on improvements that would not require changes to the Railway Labor Act (RLA), that the Board could effec-tively implement, and that would have broad support from the stakeholders.

The last decade was marked by very difficult rounds of negotiations in both the airline and railway industries. Many stakeholders expressed concern and frustration with the Board’s delivery of mediation services. The overarching criticism voiced to the Committee was that the mediation process—in too many cases—is insufficiently focused, coor-dinated, and managed. In some instances, these shortcom-ings start with the parties’ actions or inactions.

by Seth rosen, Director of ALPA’s International Pilot Services Corporation

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 23

The Committee (known as Dunlop II) concluded that the variations and distinctions between bargaining disputes that come before the Board make it impractical to establish hard-and-fast rules on how long a mediation should last.

Specifically, the greatest criticism was the lack of real and timely progress made in mediation. Many parties, particular-ly unions and their members, commonly perceive that the process is inordinately long. The Board can do many things to structure its services to facilitate a more constructive and effective collective bargaining process. However, when available resources are not optimally used, then negotiations unnecessarily drift and stall, and frustration and uncertainty take hold. This was evident during the last decade when labor unions concluded there was little credible threat of a release from mediation by the NMB.

We also addressed the contentious issue that some parties raised that explicit time limits for mediation should be estab-lished and put in place. The Committee concluded that the variations and distinctions between bargaining disputes that come before the Board make it impractical to establish hard-and-fast rules on how long a mediation should last. Any such rule may encourage the parties to surface bargaining or employ other delaying tactics if they perceive advantage in not reaching agreement before the known end date.

However, the Committee agreed that the RLA acknowl-edges that the Board may use its power to conclude that an impasse exists and a release from mediation is warranted: “Mediation was not envisioned to be an endless process, with one more meeting always on the horizon. The Board needs to maintain and enforce guidelines on the length of the case and the number of mediation sessions to be used in the evaluation of the case, balanced by due consider-ation for the specific facts and circumstances involved in that dispute and the impact on the public. At the end of the day, the judicious threat (or use) of a proffer is essential to maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the media-tion process. The Board must be seen as able and willing to use all available tools in its arsenal to accomplish its mission of enabling the parties to reach resolution of their disputes.” (Dunlop II Report)

A new case-management systemOne area the Committee considered ripe for improvement was the current case-management system. We recom-mended that a new case-management system be developed that included a specific plan for each mediation and would address issues in a timely and methodical manner. The par-ties, as well as all levels of the Board, should be involved in developing and implementing each mediation plan. Each case is different, and the Board needs to analyze the case concerning its complexity, impact, and staffing require-ments. Finally, reestablishing a chief of staff position should improve coordination within the NMB.

Dunlop II also recognized the importance of Board mem-

ber involvement in the process. At the “end” stage of media-tion, a member’s judicious involvement is vital to providing maximum leverage to successfully complete the negotiation. At this point, the Board’s ultimate weapon remains the parties’ doubt and uncertainty as to whether the Board will release them from mediation.

mediation and the role of the mediatorMany of the parties were concerned with how to make mediation sessions more productive and more effective. The mediator is the linchpin and needs to actively control the process. The mediator’s central task is to ensure that the parties make steady progress and adhere to the mediation plan. Making sure that the parties are ready and prepared at the outset of each session, minimizing the effect of travel on time spent in mediation, and scheduling extended sessions at the right time could produce real results and expedite the process.

A more flexible use of Nmb resourcesStakeholders were also concerned about the amount of Board resources devoted to mediation. Only 20 percent of the Board’s staff is devoted to mediation, yet mediation is the Board’s core function. The number, quality, and avail-ability of mediators determine the agency’s effectiveness.

One staffing problem that the NMB grapples with is that the number of mediation cases can vary widely over time even though the number of mediators is fixed. We recom-mended several alternatives to meet the fluctuating demand for mediators without locking the Board into overstaffing and potential inefficiency: (1) senior mediators should be assigned to handle their own cases in times of great demand; (2) the Board should encourage voluntary use of private mediators; (3) the Board should use other qualified NMB

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24 Air Line Pilot August 2010

The steps that the NMB is now taking and will take in the future should result in more promptly and successfully resolving mediation cases.

staff; and (4) the NMB needs to increase the average number of days per month that mediators are expected to actively mediate cases.

mediation trainingDunlop II concluded that the mediators would benefit greatly from more standardized, comprehensive, and regular training. Currently, new mediators receive an overview from each NMB department about their functions. New media-tors may “second seat” experienced mediators and may be informally mentored by them. In addition, mediators annu-ally take at least two training or educational courses of their choosing to meet the agency’s educational requirements.

The current level of initial and recurring training is inadequate. The Committee recommended that when new mediators are hired, they be provided with comprehensive training in mediation skills. Virtually all mediators have had airline or railroad labor relations experience as advocates. But they are rarely prepared for their new role as mediators. Mediators need to learn about mediation and all the tech-niques available to help them move the parties when stuck or deal with “push back” from the parties.

The Committee also believed the NMB members would benefit from mediator training. Many Board members come to the NMB without prior exposure to negotiations in either the airline or railway industries and clearly would benefit from such training.

The role of the bargaining partiesCase management depends to a significant degree on the conduct of the parties. Therefore, it’s important for them to understand the mediation process and the legal and policy framework within which it operates. The Committee sug-gested that the NMB standardize and provide the necessary education about the RLA to the parties at the outset of me-diation. The process is intricate, and the lack of understand-ing often leads to misperceptions and frustration aimed at the Board, the parties, and the process.

The Committee emphasized the important role that the

parties play in the process and believes that the parties can contribute to making mediation more effective in the same basic ways that Dunlop I recommended 15 years ago: (1) invoke mediation services only when the dispute is genu-inely ripe; (2) send negotiators to the negotiating table who are empowered to make agreements (subject to ratification); and (3) provide regular and accurate critiques of a mediator’s performance.

An outreach programThe Committee also believed that the Board should establish more effective lines of communication to all the stakeholders. Continued industry outreach is necessary, and the Board is uniquely situated to take the lead role in creating meetings and conferences in which the parties can address issues and concerns outside the negotiations setting. Such an initiative would provide a much-needed forum for the stakeholders to engage in a constructive dialogue that could facilitate improved labor-management relations in these essential industries.

moving forwardThere is nothing earth-shattering about the Committee’s report or its conclusions and recommendations. There is a fundamental need to make the mediation process more efficient and expeditious. Implementing the Committee’s recommendations should provide the foundation for a more focused and effective mediation process.

On June 23, the NMB updated the Committee regarding the status of some of our suggestions and recommendations as follows: (1) On June 7, the job announcement for the chief of staff position recommended in our interim report closed, and the Board is now selecting possible candidates; (2) the Board has instituted a more-stringent process for reviewing case progression; (3) the Board will be budgeting funds for an initial mediator training program as well as an annual multiday training program for mediators; and (4) the director of mediation will be allocating time at future media-tor staff meetings to special subject education.

The steps that the NMB is now taking and will take in the future should result in more promptly and successfully resolving mediation cases.

Editor’s note: This article on the Railway Labor Act is the last in a series that Air Line Pilot has published to keep members informed about legislative, regulatory, and administrative changes that have been considered to improve the NMB’s mediation process under the RLA.

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 25

The ALPA President’s Committee for Cargo (PCFC), working with other Association committees and staff, has significantly improved air freight operations

through education campaigns and collaborative efforts with other industry stakeholders. Air Line Pilot staff recently sat down with Capt. Bill McReynolds (FedEx Express), PCFC chairman, to talk about the unique challenges facing the all-cargo segment of air transportation and the ongoing activi-ties of this important ALPA specialty group.

Q. Air Line Pilot: Why was the PCFC created?mcreynolds: The PCFC was created in 2002 to serve as the air cargo operations advocate within the Association. The Committee manages projects and campaigns and advises ALPA’s president, offering safety, security, and regulatory expertise for this industry segment.

Despite periodic fluctuations in revenue and capacity, the cargo segment of the airline industry has taken off in the last two decades and is projected to grow through the middle of the 21st century. Air freight has become a vital segment of our global economy and an increasingly central partner in the airline industry. yet when it comes to rules and regula-tions defining appropriate safety and security levels, air cargo takes a back seat to its passenger-carrying counterpart.

This second-tier status creates a wide range of unnecessary problems for cargo flightcrew members, and ALPA has long pressed for one level of safety and security for both air freight and passenger operations. As air cargo’s market continues to grow, this difference will become even more pronounced, making the Association’s call for parity even more crucial.

Q. What kinds of differences in safety and security are you talking about?A. Let me give you two examples.

Ground personnel with unescorted access to security identification display areas (SIDA) are typically required to undergo fingerprint-based criminal history records checks (CHRC). However, air cargo sorters, loaders, and handlers do not have to have this vetting. Aside from researching previ-ous criminal activity, a biometric-based CHRC may help to verify an employee’s identity. Without it, an air freight operation is unable to positively determine the identity of an employee.

The pilots and flight attendants of passenger airlines are required to undergo security training to protect themselves

PCFC Chair reflects on AlPA’s All-Cargo Agenda

Capt. bill mcreynolds

In addition to his President’s Committee for Cargo chair responsibilities, Capt. Bill McReynolds is a B-757 pilot, having flown for FedEx Express since 1996. He serves as Security Committee chair for the FedEx pilot group and as ALPA’s repre-sentative to the Aviation Security Advisory Committee’s (ASAC)

Air Cargo Working Group. McReynolds worked on the “All-Cargo Common Strategy” guidance that is currently in use and also served on the Transportation Security Administration’s Freight Assessment System and Air Cargo Risk-Based Targeting working groups. He is also the director of cargo for the Association’s National Security Committee.—JWP

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26 Air Line Pilot August 2010

against terrorism and other criminal attacks. As part of their security training, both groups are required by the Transportation Security Administration [TSA] regulations to be schooled in the protocols of a guidance document known as the “Common Strategy.” Cargo pilots receive some secu-rity instruction, but it’s not as substantive or standardized as the training passenger-carrying crewmembers receive, despite the fact that all-cargo aircraft are just as vulnerable to these kinds of attacks. Even though an “All-Cargo Common Strategy” guidance document has been provided to all-cargo operators by the TSA, there is no requirement for the train-ing to be administered.

Q. Why do these differences exist?A. Ultimately, legislators and regulators are responsible, as air freight companies have conducted aggressive lobbying campaigns to carve out their own set of less-stringent rules and regulations, usually for financial reasons. Adequate safety and security protections are expensive to implement, and these organizations—as they see it—are in business to make money, not spend it.

On a more subtle level, air cargo carriers tend to operate at remote locations of airports and at private airparks, away from the public eye. Because they don’t have the same vis-ibility as passenger-carrying airlines, they are not subject to the same level of public scrutiny.

However, the real crux of the problem reveals a shortcom-ing in what has been our security strategy. Our government has reacted to previous terrorist events by establishing security procedures that thwart the specific tactic used in the last attack. For example, after 9/11, airport screeners began looking more closely for sharp-edged weapons. After Richard Reid attempted to ignite a shoe bomb, passengers began having to remove their shoes at airport security screening areas. Likewise, after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab concealed a bomb in his underwear on the Christmas day attack, the government began deploying whole-body scanners to more thoroughly screen passengers.

My point is that since our efforts are directed at previously used and specific tactics, terrorists simply need to shift their approach to sidestep what have been traditional, predictable countermeasures. Security strategy must be proactive to be truly effective. So far, air freighters have not been used in the more notable terrorist acts on aircraft, but this status could change. The PCFC continues to fight for one level of safety and security before terrorists or other criminals give us a more obvious reason why safety and security measures need to be consistent throughout the airline industry.

Q. What can the PCFC do to bring about change?A. Recognizing that the situation will not change overnight, the Committee and the Association continue to chip away at specific concerns. During its brief existence, the PCFC has launched tremendously successful public awareness campaigns, issuing white papers, lobbying public officials, providing congressional testimony, circulating press releases, working through coalitions, and—most importantly—opening lines of communication among other indus-try stakeholders.

For example, ALPA has worked aggressively with airport rescue and firefighting groups to raise awareness that airport fire depart-ments need to have access to aircraft configurations to better understand how they can contain and extinguish onboard cargo fires. ALPA efforts have led to two recent FAA advisory circulars that address this concern.

The unrestricted shipping of lithium batteries continues to be another concern. Although the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) banned shipments of lithium metal batteries as cargo on passenger flights in 2004, cargo aircraft continue to transport this volatile commodity in large quantities with few restrictions. In the current environment, packaging requirements need to be improved, shipments need to be properly accounted for, and main deck fire sup-pression systems need to be mandated for all-cargo aircraft. In short, lithium batteries need to be treated as fully regulat-ed dangerous goods. Dozens of aircraft incidents during the last decade point to the very real threat that the unrestricted shipping of lithium batteries poses.

However, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Responding to concerns raised by ALPA, the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in January published a notice of proposed rulemaking that, when enacted, should significantly strengthen the rules regarding the air shipment of lithium batteries. [See “On the Hill,” page 34.]

In another example, the PCFC has responded to ALPA pilot complaints about cargo ramp conditions at several locations, including facilities at the former Airborne Airpark in Wilmington, Ohio, and Cincinnati and Toledo airports. The PCFC has chaired “user group” meetings with air freight stakeholders—management, local law enforcement, facility operators, firefighters, etc.—at these locations to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the operations, and what could be done to improve efficiency. We talked about dangerous-goods carriage, first response to accidents and incidents, appropriate airport markings, security, and other concerns. The results have been phenomenal, and we’ll continue to conduct these valuable meetings.

Q. What is the PCFC currently pursuing?A. The Committee has established a list of specific priorities

by the NumbersALPA’s President’s Committee for Cargo represents more than a quar-ter of the Association’s pilots, includ-ing those who fly for Air Transport International, Alaska Air, ASTAR, Capital Cargo, Calm Air, Evergreen, FedEx, First Air, Kelowna Flightcraft, and Wasaya.—JWP

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 27

for 2010 that shape our current workload. The priorities in-struct our members to continue advocating for adequate ARFF protection and training for all Part 121 all-cargo operations; stronger regulations concerning the packaging, accepting, handling, and transporting of lithium batteries; intrusion- resistant cockpit doors on all-cargo aircraft; requiring main deck fire suppression for all-cargo aircraft; participating with the TSA-sponsored Aviation Security Advisory Committee on cargo security-related issues; mandating cargo Common Strategy training for all-cargo crewmembers; requiring fingerprint-based 10-year criminal history checks for persons with unescorted access to cargo airplanes, cargo, and cargo facilities; one level of safety and security for passenger and all-cargo airlines with respect to flight-time/duty-time legisla-tion; development and implementation of threat-based risk assessment for all cargo shipments; and offering continued

safety and security expertise and resources to pilots of all-cargo carriers including organizing and conducting training and educational forums.

These priorities are posted on the PCFC page of the members-only site of www.alpa.org.

Q: Speaking of the PCFC website, wasn’t it recently updated?A. yes. Our updated web page provides a number of new resources including the Gouge Container, which provides discrete, exclusive information for ALPA pilots flying over-seas. The PCFC created this tool with the goal of gathering intelligence about airport security, crew entry points and screening procedures, locations of embassies, and other useful information that members can use as they prepare for trips.—John Perkinson, Staff Writer

on the evening of June 7, Capt. Bill Emmanuel (North American Airlines) checked into a hotel in Grand Forks, N.D. The desk clerk handed him a

message from Chad Balentine, an ALPA senior staff engineer:“The NTSB and all the parties are getting their people into

Grand Forks this evening. The NTSB will hold an organiza-tional meeting tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. at the airport. Plan on meeting in the lobby at 7:00 a.m. There will be a short brief-ing before we go to the airport. Plan on spending the day on site and returning to the hotel after completion of the day’s activities. If you need breakfast, plan on eating and being ready to go by 7:00 a.m.

“Please have all the gear you feel you will need for the day with you when we meet. Be prepared for fieldwork.”

So began Emmanuel’s fourth ALPA training course: Basic Safety School in February, Accident Investigation in March, training on blood-borne pathogens in March, and now the Advanced Accident Investigation Course (AI3), a time-compressed mock accident investigation conducted in partnership with the University of North Dakota (UND) on UND’s Grand Forks campus. The earlier training, plus his Master Executive Council’s approval, were prerequisites for attending AI3.

Preparing for the unexpected“Every MEC Central Air Safety Committee, and especially the MEC chief accident investigators, must be ready to participate in an NTSB or TSBC [Transportation Safety Board of Canada] aircraft accident investiga-tion at a moment’s notice,” says Capt. Mike Bender (FedEx Express), chairman of ALPA’s Accident Investigation Board. “The most effective preparation for that is the very

experience that no ALPA member desires—previous partici-pation in an actual NTSB or TSBC investigation. The next best preparation is a dress rehearsal in which team members step into the role of ALPA coordinator, NTSB group member, or TSBC observer. That’s what AI3 provides.”

Emmanuel was one of 19 pilots from 10 pilot groups, plus 3 UND students, who gathered for the 7:00 a.m. Tuesday mock NTSB organizational meeting, led by Capt. Paul Brady (American Eagle), ALPA training programs coordinator, play-ing the role of the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC). F/O Jeff Mee (Continental), the AI3 course director, played the NTSB deputy IIC. Balentine served as ALPA party coordinator. Capt. Bob Slowik (Delta), ALPA assistant training programs coordinator, impersonated an FAA representative.

AI3 students logged full days, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

mock Accident Investigation Tweaks AlPA’s Tin-Kickers

Capt. John Gabriele (Fedex express), right, tries his hand at working traffic in the University of North Dakota’s sophisticated ATC radar class-room after completing AlPA’s Advanced Accident Investigation Course.

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28 Air Line Pilot August 2010

Pilot reports on AI3Capt. Robert Keller (Jazz): “Very informative, very well taught. The course brought together everything we learned in [Basic Safety and Accident Investigation (AI-2)].

“You’re not being catered to; if you don’t bring the right equipment or supplies to the scene, you aren’t going to have them.

“As a Canadian pilot, I was glad the instructors covered the differences between an NTSB and a TSB investigation.”

F/O Philip VanTiem (Piedmont): “I was very impressed by the course—especially how realistic it was! They worked us really hard, for long hours, rain or shine, just like a real field investigation.”

Capt. Bill Emmanuel (North American): “Even though we only spent 2 hours examining the wreckage, we got the hint of what the on-site field investigation is like. The instructors did such an outstanding job—we are now able to see the story behind the bent metal.

“That moment when we pieced it all together was the pinnacle of the training. I left feeling proud and confident.” —JWS

on Tuesday and Wednesday, ending at about 2 p.m. on Thursday. They donned biohazard suits and spent a few hours examining the scattered wreckage of a real airplane. Then they rotated among six technical groups led by ALPA pilot accident investigators—Structures (Capt. Mike Schilz [Delta]), Operations (Capt. Laszlo Preysz [Delta]), Survival Factors (Capt. Bill Meachem [Atlantic Southeast]), ATC (Capt. Ray Gelinas [Jazz]), CVR (Capt. Jeff Perin [Spirit]), and Mainten-ance Records (Capts. Ben Tudor [Delta] and Mike Wickboldt [Colgan]). Along the way were mock ALPA and NTSB meet-ings modeled on the instructors’ considerable experience.

After the course ended, four of the students took an instructive ride in UND’s altitude chamber. Another five toured UND’s ATC radar classroom, plus the UND ATC tower simulator, and had the eye-opening experience of controlling virtual traffic.

Dana Siewert, director of flight safety, UND, and Frank Argenziano, Siewert’s deputy, “do a phenomenal job,” says Brady. “They provide all the logistical support. They help us

deliver a world-class course for our accident investigators. We’ve held AI3 every summer since 2003, and it’s prepared many of our current accident investigators to go afield with confidence when they get that call in the middle of the night.”—Jan W. Steenblik, Technical Editor

Following the Dec. 25, 2009, bomb-ing attempt of Northwest Flight 253 and the subsequent release of

an ALPA white paper about enhancing security, ALPA’s National Security Com-mittee (NSC) has pursued the trust-based aviation security concept—a new approach to enhance aviation security and improve travelers’ experience by allowing trustworthy passengers to be promptly cleared through security while focusing much greater re-sources on those whose trustworthi-ness is unknown or in doubt—with government and industry.

Following productive meetings with Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) leaders and other government law enforcement and intel-ligence agencies, the NSC was invited

to present the paper at a conference of the Terrorism Research and Analysis Project (TRAP)

consortium. The TRAP consortium,

which the FBI sponsored, was held June 15–18 in Wilmington, N.C., and fea-

tured subject-matter experts from the Federal Air Marshal Service, the FBI, the TSA, and numerous universities.

As a result of the NSC’s pre-sentation, the TRAP consortium agreed to consider the issue as the subject of an independent research

paper. The paper will provide an independent analysis of the validity of the trust-based security approach based upon scientific evaluation and data collection. —ALPA Communications Department Staff

AlPA Presents Trust-based Security Concept to TrAP

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 29

Strategically breaking Down barriers

running the largest pilots union in the world requires coordination across all fronts. Just ask the union’s national committee chairmen, subject-matter experts

in all-things-airline-pilot—from negotiating contracts and protecting members’ interests in Congress and Parliament to keeping pilots safe and secure on the job and even providing a jumpseat on the way home. Here at ALPA, these leaders are pilots just like other ALPA members, and their ultimate goal is to help when it’s needed most—no matter what the situa-tion is.

So what happens when the union pools all of these ALPA resources into a Herndon, Va., conference room for 2 days? For starters, communication lines open, common issues emerge, and the union’s leaders break down the barriers of individual committee projects to coordinate the Association’s services and resources in the most efficient manner possible. This translates into enhanced and stream-lined benefits for all ALPA pilots and allows for the “suc-cess” measurement and recalibration of major objectives laid out in the union’s strategic plan.

Stepping upNeed proof? Look no further than the recent return of pattern bargaining. At the direction of the Association’s 2008 Board of Directors, ALPA’s Collective Bargaining and Retirement and Insurance Committees joined forces to help improve cornerstone contract provisions. Now, with several new contracts and tentative agreements that meet this goal, ALPA pilots are stair-stepping their way back up the pay and benefits scales following bankruptcy-era contract

setbacks. Both these national committees plan to update and improve pay and benefits benchmarking reports this fall. While this illustrates one success story, all of ALPA’s national committee chairmen agreed that the union can benefit from further coordination in this arena, starting with the Strategic Planning Committee.

With the Executive Board’s recent enactment of policy that requires pilot groups to have a strategic plan in place before tapping into the Major Contingency Fund to advance end-game negotiations, it’s a natural fit. Other crossovers included writing safety program specifics into contract language through coordination with ALPA’s Executive Air Safety Committee and promoting consistent and favorable furlough language in pilots’ contracts, through the Furlough Pilot Support Network—a subdivision of the Membership Committee, now part of the Association’s Professional Development Group (PDG).

Through tough timesNot everything, of course, goes as planned. When ALPA combined the Education, Leadership, and Membership programs under the PDG umbrella, few could have pre-dicted the role it would play in the aftermath of the Colgan Flight 3407 accident. With airline pilots’ professionalism, qualifications, and standards in the national spotlight, these resources worked in tandem during center-stage events, coordinating messages and appearances with precision and further positioning ALPA as the authoritative voice of the airline piloting profession.

“The Colgan accident and its aftermath made us deter-

AlPA’s national committee chairmen met in the union’s Herndon, Va., offices June 30–July 1 to coordinate the Association’s services and activities to better serve its members’ needs.

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30 Air Line Pilot August 2010

mined to break down committee barriers,” said Capt. John Sluys (Alaska), the PDG chair. “We’ve done a better job of working together than we ever have before.” Both he and Capt. Rory Kay (United), ALPA’s Executive Air Safety Chairman, agreed that combining manpower enabled ALPA to secure influential positions, such as a seat at ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Task Force through

IFALPA, and multiple speaking opportunities at the NTSB’s Professionalism in Aviation Symposium in May.

reaching the goalThe national committee chairmen also discussed how the increased coordination across pilot group lines, and among ALPA “families,” has brought the union closer to its goal of building unity within ALPA’s ranks. Take, for example, the recent press release from ALPA union leaders regarding Pinnacle Airline Corporation’s purchase of Mesaba Airlines, which also includes the Colgan pilots’ perspective on the purchase.

Solidarity shined through during Spirit pilots’ demonstra-tions (see “Spirit Strikes,” page 16), too, as ALPA pilots and other devoted trade unionists walked the picket line to show their support, thanks in part to ALPA’s Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee’s efforts to break down barriers within ALPA and across the airline industry.—Molly Martin, Contributing Writer

Clockwise from above: President John Prater; F/o rich odbert, Jumpseat; First Vice-President Paul rice, left, and Capt. robb Powers, Security; and Capt. mike Donatelli, SPSC.

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 31

FromTHEHIll

by John Perkinson, Staff Writer

AlPA Acts on Wall Street reform

AlPA Urges White House to Push FAA reauthorization, Flight-Time/Duty-Time rulemakingby Jan W. Steenblik Technical Editor

operations of the FAA and our nation’s airspace system, the pending FAA re-authorization provides a critical down payment toward modernization,” he added. “Long-term stable funding of the nation’s airspace and air traffic control infrastructure is essential to enhance safety and reduce greenhouse gases as well as to make gains in system capacity and efficiency.

“Moreover, myriad aviation safety programs will be strengthened by this legislation. Notably, the bill includes significant improvements for pilot screening and training. It also includes strategic plans for runway safety and for critical aviation research on wake turbulence and the impact of weath-er—such as volcanic ash and icing—on aircraft operations.”

Flight- and duty-time rulesRegarding the second issue, the action needed to update flight-time and duty-time limits and minimum rest require-ments for airline flightcrew members, Prater reiterated the fundamental truth that the best and most important safety feature on any airplane is a well-trained, highly motivated, and professional flight crew supported by

on June 8, ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, sent U.S. President Barack Obama a

letter on behalf of the nearly 53,000 pilots the Association represents at 38 airlines, asking Obama to “ad-dress two outstanding safety issues in the airline industry.” Those two issues are the need for (1) the U.S. Congress to pass legislation reautho-rizing (i.e., funding) the FAA, and (2) the FAA to publish its long-awaited and overdue notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to update flight-time and duty-time limits and mini-mum rest requirements for airline flightcrew members.

FAA reauthorization“For more than 2 years, the FAA reauthorization legislation has lan-guished in Congress,” Prater noted. “I am, of course, keenly aware that Congress dictates its own schedule; however, I urge you to make clear the critical need to pass this legislation expeditiously.

“In addition to funding day-to-day

ALPA is closely monitoring prog-ress of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,

H.R. 4173, which has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but awaits a final vote in the Senate. After more than a year of debate, the House recently agreed to final legislative lan-guage. The bill is intended to prevent a repeat of the recent financial crisis that left the U.S. economy in a deep reces-sion and compelled the government to finance major bank bailouts.

The Association has lobbied aggres-sively to make certain that provisions are included that protect both airlines and airline employees. ALPA pressed for two particular issues in this legisla-tion. The first was greater transparency in the derivatives market. Without this expanded level of transparency, the U.S. airline industry would remain at risk from shortsighted investors who gamble on oil futures and drive up the price of oil with no regard to the effect this practice could have on airline employment stability.

“We worked hard to ensure that rampant oil speculation is not allowed under these sweeping new market reforms, and our efforts were success-ful,” said ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, in his weekly message to the Association’s Board of Directors.

The second concern involved ensuring that U.S. airlines are permit-ted to continue to hedge their fuel costs through the legitimate use of derivatives. Unlike speculation traders, airlines aren’t gambling on short-term cost fluctuations; they’re legitimate end-users of the product they are purchasing. Hedging their fuel needs through the derivatives market allows airlines to predict their future fuel costs with more certainty,

freeing up capital for other needs.“In the end,” said Prater, “We main-

tained this pricing tool for the airlines and beat back Wall Street’s efforts to

expand the definition of ‘end-users’ to include their derivatives trading desks.”

President Obama has vowed to quickly sign this bill into law.

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32 Air Line Pilot August 2010

FromTHEHIll

“We are not traveling uncharted territory. The obvious path to success, should it be selected, has already been established….The Delta/Northwest merger, in which the company worked out a mutually satis factory contract with the pilots, has been a resounding success.”—Capt. Wendy Morse, United MEC Chairman

UAl, CAl meC Chairs Testify on Proposed mergerby Jan W. Steenblik Technical Editor

effective fatigue mitigation regulations. However, he declared, “The regula-tions currently in place are grossly inadequate, outdated, and not based on science.”

Addressing the current situation in plain language, he continued, “Pilot fatigue is a serious issue in our industry and [one] that our pilots and custom-ers deserve to have addressed by your administration. Given the cooperation among ALPA, government, and indus-try partners through the formation and work of the Flight/Duty Time Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) and the progress made toward the com-

mon goal of a new, updated set of regulations based on science, I fail to understand why a final rule—or even a proposed rule—has not been published as repeatedly promised by your ad-ministration. Reports that the Office of Management and Budget has directed these FAA-proposed safety regulations to be rewritten due to complaints by industry of associated expense are extremely troubling.”

Prater noted that the current out-dated regulations permit supplemental airlines, which transport the vast majority of U.S. troops, to operate under rules that are even more lax than

those that apply to scheduled airlines. “Allowing this disparity to continue is outrageous and action must be taken,” he asserted.

“A strong FAA reauthorization law and updated fatigue regulations are essential to ensure the safety of airline operations,” Prater concluded. “I respectfully urge you to expedite meaningful solutions to improve avia-tion safety.”

That’s the perspective of ALPA’s members—the front-line experts on airline safety—who have thus told Mr. Obama whom to motivate with his presidential wingtips.

Capt. Wendy Morse (United) and Capt. Jay Pierce (Conti-nental), the Master Executive

Council chairs of their respective pilot groups, addressed two panels in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 16 regarding the proposed merger of United and Continental. The two pilot leaders testified first before the Trans-portation and Infrastructure Subcom-mittee on Aviation and then later in the day at a hearing held by the Com-mittee on the Judiciary.

Their statements were designed to ensure that line pilots’ concerns are considered in the merger process and to remind the parties involved that pi-lots are the key to a successful merger.

Capts. Morse and Pierce submitted written testimony to the Committees in addition to making 5-minute oral state-ments and answering questions from members of Congress. To watch video of the hearings, go to http://transporta-tion.house.gov/hearings/hearingDetail.aspx?NewsID=1202 and http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_100616.html.

UAl meC perspective“We are not traveling uncharted

territory,” Morse pointed out. “The obvious path to success, should it be selected, has already been estab-lished….The Delta/Northwest merger, in which the company worked out a mutually satis factory contract with the pilots, has been a resounding suc-

“Today, we find ourselves at a crossroad,” Morse observed. “Through the extended Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, United Airlines management stripped significant scope protections, thereby allowing them to outsource flying, and eliminate jobs as they

cess. It has exceeded initial estimates for financial synergies, which led to a more viable company that provides greater service for the flying public and provides greater employment certainty for its employees.”

In stark contrast to the Delta/Northwest success story, she said, “The America West/US Airways merger, in which management failed to negotiate contract terms in advance, is still run as two separate companies. Mired in lawsuits, America West/US Airways has failed to realize the advertized syner-gies, even though the merger took place more than 5 years ago and con-tinues to have its share of unresolved labor issues, which benefits neither the company nor the consumer.

deemed fit. The process allowed United Airlines to outsource approximately 50 percent of its domestic flying to low-cost, subcontracted, often unknown carriers. This has resulted in savings through costs being cut in the area of wages, benefits, and work rules. These are causative factors that ultimately affect safety.”

She added, “We have 1,437 pilots on furlough while United Airlines contin-ues to outsource to low-cost, subcon-tracted carriers and foreign airlines.” Therefore, Morse warned, the United pilots “would stand in opposition to this merger if it is to be used as a tool to continue the outsourcing of American jobs on a grander scale, and we are hopeful that will not be the case.

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 33

Outsourcing has become the ultimate bait-and-switch in which the passen-gers are often unaware of which airline is actually providing the service…. This merger presents the opportunity to put an end to management’s preoccupa-tion with outsourcing.”

Morse declared, “One axiom in this service industry stands as a bea-con of truth: Take care of your em-ployees. Ultimately, they will take care of the customers, and the business will take care of itself….For this merger to be successful, there must be a joint collective bargaining agreement with assurances for wages, working condi-tions, and job protections that are commensurate with the professional-ism that our pilots exhibit each and every day.

“Thanks to the professionalism, commitment, and financial sacrifice of the pilots and other employees, our airline has weathered numerous challenges, and now flourishes,” Morse concluded. “Without the pilots’ and other employees’ sacrifices, the proposed United/Continental merger would not be possible. Our pilots have

made the sacrifices. It is now time we shared in the rewards.”

CAl meC perspective Noting that he was a U.S. Army veteran and has been an airline pilot for more than 25 years, Pierce said, “As a result, I tend to think of things in terms of threats and opportunities. As a labor leader, that risk/reward mentality has proven beneficial as well.

“I believe the merger of these two companies provides opportunity for success,” Pierce continued. “The larger question is the degree of success that will be achieved….

“The difference between marginal success and real success can be tied directly to labor and, more specifically, pilot labor,” he asserted. “This can be seen clearly in the dichotomy of the result obtained in two recent airline mergers.

“US Airways and America West were participants in the merger game. Delta and Northwest made the decision to try to win the game and did so by includ-ing their pilots in the process and prop-erly rewarding them for the risks they

incurred. The template for success is available for all to see—working along-side their pilots benefitted all players within the Delta/Northwest merger.”

Pierce noted, “Going third in this round of airline consolidation provides us the unique opportunity to examine what has worked and what has failed. While no two transactions are identical, our goal should be to improve the model—to ex-ceed past successes and to mitigate the areas that proved to be problematic. To accept marginal success or, in other words, partial failure, should be unac-ceptable to our executives and will be unacceptable to our pilots.”

The merger of Continental and United is expected to produce approxi-mately 1.2 billion dollars in annual cost and revenue synergies. Pierce said he believes these estimates are not unrealistic for the new United if the merger is approved.

“In the long run,” he stressed,

Want to read more?To read the pilot leaders’ oral and written testimony in full, visit www.alpa.org/testimony.

Capts. Wendy morse (United), right, and Jay

Pierce (Continental), the meC chairs of

their respective pilot groups, address two

panels in the U.S. House of representatives

regarding the proposed merger of United and

Continental.

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34 Air Line Pilot August 2010

FromTHEHIll

Congressmen Call for lithium battery Final rule Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives who hold influential leadership positions dealing with aviation matters have unequivocally endorsed proposed rulemaking that would reduce the risk that shipments of lithium batteries pose to airlines. The congressmen support ALPA’s position on the need to fully regulate air shipments of lithium batteries as dangerous goods.

On January 11, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), along with the FAA, issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would amend U.S. hazardous materials regulations to improve the safety of lithium cells and batteries that are transported by air.

On June 14, Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Jerry

F. Costello (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Subcom mittee on Aviation, sent a joint letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, noting that they “strongly support” the NPRM.

“We commend the PHMSA and the FAA for making this NPRM a high priority,” the congressmen concluded. “We strongly encour-age PHMSA to issue a final rule, consistent with this NPRM and our Committee-approved legislation, that significantly improves the safety of transporting lithium cells and batteries.”

ALPA has long advocated for improved transport requirements for lithium ion and lithium metal batter-ies. Since 2004, the Association has urged full regulation of these batter-ies as dangerous goods, including requiring appropriate packaging, labeling, marking, testing, and pilot notification.

43

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“success will be determined by the strength of the new entity, the value added to its shareholders, and, even more importantly, by the pride of the airline’s labor force. This pride can only be regained by first ensuring that reparations are made to labor for their years of sacrifice. Having for years watched revenue flow in every direc-tion except toward labor, and having experienced cost reductions that threatened our families’ futures, we have become skeptical. Trickledown economics has left us empty-handed.

“For this reason,” Pierce declared, “our support, and therefore the ulti-mate success of the merger, is contin-gent on immediate and contractual assurances of wage rates, retirement, work rules, and job protections that are commensurate with our educa-tion, experience, and responsibilities. We deserve it, our passengers deserve it, and our families deserve it. Let me be very clear—for this merger to be a true success, a commitment must be made to our pilots that they will share in the rewards. We have most assuredly had our share of risks.”

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 35

by Toni C. Vacinek, ALPA Communications Specialist

AlPATOOLBOX

The couponing program that Janning has implemented through Family Awareness has done more than just arm families with the skills

necessary to help manage their weekly grocery budget during the unlikely event of a strike. It’s helped to connect families during these volatile times in the airline industry while providing them the ability to save money long after any contract disputes have been settled.

AirTran Master Executive Coun-cil Family Awareness chairman and captain rep Christine

Janning knows what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck as an airline pilot. Not only did she grow up as a child of a single mother who went on strike with the air traffic controllers in 1981, Janning also struggled to make ends meet when furloughed from United Airlines in 2001 and when her husband was furloughed from AirTran just 2 years ago. She also spent several years as an AirTran first officer—with her first officer wages lagging behind the industry’s average—before recently upgrading to captain. She also balances being a pilot and an ALPA volunteer with raising a family.

So it’s no coincidence that Janning knows a few things about the impor-tance of smart planning and finding a deal. And she uses these skills, along with her passion for her career and family, to create awareness and provide education through the AirTran MEC’s Family Awareness program.

“Family Awareness isn’t just about events, it’s about education,” says Janning. “Educating pilots’ families is an important component of a union’s responsibilities, and generating family participation is crucial.”

As part of the AirTran MEC Family Awareness program, Janning has cre-ated a new twist on an old practice that can make a significant difference to pilots’ juggling a tight household budget or facing a possible strike.

The practice is couponing, and this cult obsession has become a growing trend—saving families a significant amount of money. Casually clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper and heading to the grocery store for the week’s essentials is for amateurs.

Serious couponing is a lifestyle that’s all about research and strategy.

A spring Family Awareness event held for members of the AirTran Wives Club not only provided spouses an opportunity to learn from Janning’s research and personal practices on sav-ing money, but also gave the attendees the opportunity to ask questions and learn about AirTran contract negotia-tions and the likelihood of a potential strike if talks fail.

“Saving now is security for the future,” says Janning. “While no one ever wants to experience a strike, that possibility always exists. Being finan-

cially prepared allows pilots to support the negotiating committee and stand united and committed to the fight for a contract without the burden of wonder-ing how the bills are going to get paid.”

The couponing program that Janning has implemented through Family Awareness has done more than just arm families with the skills necessary to help manage their weekly grocery budget during the unlikely event of a strike. It’s helped to connect families during these volatile times in the airline industry while providing them the ability to save money long after any contract disputes have been settled.

Detailed information on how to save 50–75 percent on your weekly grocery bill, along with the “how-to” of the couponing process, can be found on the airtranfamily.alpa.org website. The site includes•  where to find coupons,•  couponing blogs and websites,•  how to effectively use your coupons,•  coupon terminology,•  loadable coupon programs and the uniqueness of each,•  store rebate programs, and•  examples of purchases with savings.

So far this year, Janning says she’s av-eraging more than a 70 percent savings on household goods and groceries and has saved her family more than $3,000 on daily essentials.

Just made my first trip with cou pons (except the newspaper ones). Didn’t save as much as I would have if I had had the system down but was able to get some great deals with the Kroger specials and my coupons. Saved $76.88.

I appreciate your help immensely. —Cheryl Laughlin

I saved $49 on my first trip to Publix Saturday morning. I ended up still pay-ing $42, but I bought a lot of fruit, meat, milk, bread, and other staples that don’t usually have coupons.

Thanks again for all your great advice.—Rita DeNell

Feedback

Clipping Your Way to Financial Security

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36 Air Line Pilot August 2010

Hailed by many as the “NCAA championship” of collegiate flying contests, the National Intercolle-

giate Flying Association’s annual Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) showcases student pilots deftly demonstrating their skills. This year’s event, which had more than 300 participants, was held at Indiana State University-Terre Haute May 17–22 and, like so many times before, ALPA was on hand to serve as sponsor, judge, and most importantly, mentor.

This annual springtime challenge features events like power-off and short-field landings, simulated IFR flying, tests of aircraft preflight inspec-tion and navigational precision, and a variety of other challenges for pilots from 30 selected flying programs. Contestants are chosen from regional competitions held during the previous fall, and many ALPA members are intimately familiar with these events. In fact, F/O Erich Hess (Continental), who served as this year’s chief judge, is a previous SAFECON contestant.

“I participated in SAFECON from 1996 to 2000 as a University of North Dakota student,” says Hess, a Newark-based B-737 pilot. “I competed in most of the ground events and several of the flying contests. It was an incredible experience and a great opportunity to network with other pilots.”

Hess is not alone; numerous other ALPA members have attended the more than 80 NIFA-recognized col-leges and have taken part in previous SAFECONs to flaunt their flying tal-ents. Accordingly, ALPA has long been a sponsor of these events, offering 10 $500 awards to the top regional pilots and a $1,000 award to both the top

national pilot and his or her school. Each year, ALPA members set up an information booth and participate in an informal Q&A session with students to talk about the daily rigors of flying the line and the high standards an airline pilot must uphold.

ALPA’s outreach effort is conduct-ed under the auspices of the Pilot

members and called for outreach pro-grams to support collegiate and inde-pendent flying programs. The annual SAFECON competition showcases abili-ties and skills that distinguish the best and the brightest, the kinds of pilots ALPA and airlines will count on to lead the future of the airline industry.

And thanks to ALPA volunteers and others, this year’s SAFECON was anoth-er tremendous success. Sluys presented an award and congratulated Sherman Carll of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), who took top hon-ors. This year’s top team award went to the University of North Dakota.

Conducting the ALPA Q&A session were Sluys; F/O Mike Hamilton (United), an ALPA executive vice-president; F/O Luis Putzeys (ExpressJet); F/O Linden Hillman (AirTran); F/O Carla Widman (Colgan); and Capt. Eric Cowan (Compass). Putzeys

and Cowan, along with Capt. Bill Dressler (ExpressJet) and F/O John Shumaker (Air Wisconsin), also worked at the Association’s information booth. Capt. Steve Halcomb (AirTran) served as the SAFECON assistant chief judge, and many other current (and future) ALPA members were there to enjoy and support this event.

“How important is ALPA to NIFA?” asked NIFA’s Executive Director Gary Hemphill. “The answer is a lot more than most of our student competitors and ALPA members realize; not only has ALPA been a financial supporter of NIFA competitions for more than 20 years, but its pilots have also contributed thou-sands of hours of volunteer help.”

ALPA’s Valued Role as SAFECON Supporterby John Perkinson, Staff Writer

INVeSTING IN oUr FUTUre

Cleared to Dream is a new Air Line Pilot department highlighting ALPA’s ongoing outreach to engage and educate student pilots. Future magazine articles will continue to underscore the efforts of the Association’s Education Committee. Be sure to check out the group’s website at clearedtodream.org.

“Many of our pilots get involved as event volunteers because they remember how important these

functions were to them when they were participating as students.”

Sherman Carll

Development Group (PDG), through its Education Committee, which serves as a liaison between the Association and young men and women interested in becoming airline pilots. “ALPA pilots volunteer their time to ensure that students understand the roles and responsibilities of being a professional pilot, the importance of ethics and integrity, and what it means to be an ALPA member,” says Capt. John Sluys (Alaska), an ALPA executive vice-presi-dent and PDG chairman. “Many of our pilots get involved as event volunteers because they remember how important these functions were to them when they were participating as students.”

In 2008 the Association’s Board of Directors (through Delegate Committees 5 and 8) acknowledged the ongoing need to nurture future

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 37

History Lessons: ALPA Pilots Stand Their Ground

TWA’S 26-dAy STrike endS in ArbiTrATion on nov. 15, 1946

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Five thousand ALPA pilots from all 47 domestic and international American flag carriers gathered at 23 major airports throughout the nation January 22 in a show of support for the striking pilots of Southern Airways [see photo below].

The spontaneous program, developed by the pilot groups themselves, called public and government attention to SOU’s

Peace returned to the nation’s air lines on November 15, 1946, at 5:15 a.m., as the precedent-shat-tering and history-making TWA strike was carried to a successful conclusion, but the return of the TWA pilots to their cockpits and TWA’s planes to the world’s air lanes was still only an anticlimax to the 15-month-old dispute, which had culminated in the first walkout in the history of the na-tion’s commercial air lines.

The ink was hardly dry on the signatures affixed to the govern-ment arbitration agreement ending the strike before the eyes of ALPA were already focused on another target date—the ar-bitration hearings…which were scheduled...for some time around mid-December….

ALPA’s staunch display of strength, unity, and teamwork had carried the TWA pilots through the acid test of one vital phase of the dispute, the strike stage, and what now faces the Association is a continuance of the same solidarity and united efforts in preparation of a sub-stantial arbitration case for the hearings where the controversy will finally be settled….

David L. Behncke, president of the Air Line Pilots Associa-tion, who had represented and guided the 1,100 striking TWA first pilots and copilots during the grueling days of the strike, signed the arbitration agreement for the pilots, while Paul E. Richter, ex-ecutive vice-president of TWA, signed for the company….

Under the terms of the ar-bitration agreement, ALPA

will have three working days in which to present its demands and supporting evidence, and the company three days…, followed by a day each allotted to both sides for rebuttal…. [T]he board is required to render its decision within 10 days after the conclu-sion of the hearings.

One of the stumbling blocks to an early settlement of the strike, which had resulted in days of needless delay, was the com-pany’s adamant stand regarding

calling the pilots back to work which had in effect been: “We’ll call them back when we darn well please; some of them now, some of them later; some of them maybe never.”

As long as such an avenue of discrimination remained open, there could be no settlement of the strike, but this loophole was finally plugged in the final arbitration agreement….From The Air Line Pilot, November 1946

‘SHoW of SoLidAriTy’20-month-old strike.

Turnout at the terminals ranged from 600 in Miami to 80 in New Orleans. But in each city, it was estimated that 99 per cent of available pilots participated in the “show of solidarity.”

Press and public reaction to the orderly, peaceful demonstration was “extremely favorable.”…From The Air Line Pilot, February 1962

Pilots at Calm Air gained a new 4-year working agreement in late May after 2 months of critical negotiations during which time both the pilots and Calm Air management were permitted by Canadian law to enter into “self help” tactics.

Both parties were allowed to engage in self-help activities including a strike or a lockout starting on March 14. Intense, mediated negotiations continued until the pilots and management reached the tentative agreement on May 7.

The pilots’ Master Executive Council unanimously ratified the tentative agreement after polling during pilot meetings showed 100 percent support for the new con-tract. The agreement includes improvements in vacation and pay and provides pilots sick leave for the first time and more say in pilot scheduling issues….From Air Line Pilot, June/July 1998

CALm Air PiLoTS GAin neW ConTrACT

Captains F. Stickney, PAI; J. Boyd, SOU; and T. Latta, AAL, lead 300 ALPA members

into the Washington National Airport.

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38 Air Line Pilot August 2010

AlP

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Num

bers

National officersFor complete biographical infor-mation on ALPA’s national officers and executive vice-presidents, visit www.alpa.org.

Capt. John Prater President

Capt. Paul rice First Vice-President

Capt. William Couette Vice-President– Administration/Secretary

executive Vice- PresidentsFor more information on who executive vice-presidents represent, please visit www.alpa.org/evp.

eVP Groups and the Pilots They representGroup A: Continental, Delta, FedEx, UnitedGroup b1: Air Transport International, Air Wisconsin, Comair, CommutAir, ExpressJet, Trans StatesGroup b2: American Eagle, ASTAR, Compass, Pinnacle, PSA, RyanGroup b3: AirTran, Atlantic Southeast, Capital Cargo, Colgan, Evergreen, Mesa Air Group, PiedmontGroup b4: Alaska, Hawaiian, Island Air, Mesaba, North American, Spirit, Sun CountryGroup C: Air Transat, Bearskin, Calm Air, CanJet, First Air, Jazz,Kelowna Flightcraft, Wasaya

Capt. Don WykoffExecutive Administrator

Capt. randy HellingVice-President–Finance/Treasurer

Pre

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Capt. Joe Fagone Group A

Capt. robert C. Dowell Group A

Capt. michael Geer Group A

Capt. ray miller Group A

F/o michael Hamilton Group A

Capt. John SluysGroup B4

Capt. Tom Zerbarini Group B3

Capt. edward lowry Group B1

Capt. Thomas maxwell Group B2

Capt. Dan Adamus Group C

Pilot resources: Fly International Routes?Check Out the Gouge Container

the Gouge Container to provide pilot-to-pilot comprehensive “would have been nice to have known that” information on a number of airports and cities, from Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, to Winnipeg, Man., Canada, including details about •  terminology, •  preferred routings, •  preferred SIDs and STARs,•  security rankings, •  security advisories, •  airport security, •  Customs requirements, •  ramp operations, •  ramp shuttles to remote cargo areas, •  ramp access, •  terminal access, •  crew entry points, •  crew screening procedures, •  availability of aircraft services, •  personal security advisories,•  contraband items, 

•  location of embassies, •  hotels and, •  restaurants.

The site also includes an ops gouge container feedback form that pilots can fill out to share useful tips they’ve gathered in the “school of hard knocks” about flying to some-times tricky international destinations.

To access the Gouge Container, go to the members-only site of www.alpa.org. Select the Commit-tees tab on the top menu bar and then click on View All Committees and Departments. Scroll down the page and under ALPA Presidential Committees select President’s Committee for Cargo and click on the Learn more link. When the PCFC page opens, click on The Gouge Container under Spotlight in the right-hand column.

ALPA’s President’s Committee for Cargo (PCFC), chaired by Capt. Bill McReynolds (FedEx Express), recently updated its website where you can find resources such as the Gouge Container, which provides flight crews of international flights—both passenger and cargo—useful information about the cities and airports they fly to.

Recognizing that company, com-mercial, and government services can’t provide all operationally perti-nent information, the PCFC created

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August 2010 Air Line Pilot 39

AlPA Information Numbers

membership Services

To obtain membership account information or to update your records or your postal or e-mail address via the Internet, go to the My ALPA area of Crewroom.alpa.org; or dial the toll-free number 1-888-359-2572 (1-888-FLy-ALPA) and choose menu option 3.

Listed below are the telephone numbers of MEC offices.

AirTran–ATN MEC 404-763-5165Air Transat–TSC MEC 1-888-337-2033Air Transport International–ATI MEC 505-263-8838Air Wisconsin–ARW MEC 757-754-7687Alaska–ALA MEC 206-241-3138*Aloha–ALO MEC 808-838-0022American Eagle–EGL MEC 817-685-7474ASTAR Air Cargo–DHL MEC 859-282-1475*ATA–ATA MEC 773-284-4910Atlantic Southeast–ASA MEC 404-209-8566Bearskin–BRS MEC 807-628-5683Calm Air–CMA MEC 204-471-1000CanJet–CJA MEC 902-830-7228Capital Cargo–CCI MEC 256-289-0428Colgan Air–CJC MEC 1-877-MEC-CJC1Comair–CMR MEC 859-282-9016CommutAir–CMT MEC 440-985-8579Compass–CPZ MEC 952-853-2373Continental–CAL MEC 281-987-3636Delta–DAL MEC 404-763-4925Evergreen—EIA MEC 503-474-3880ExpressJet—XJT MEC 281-987-3636FedEx Express–FDX MEC 901-752-8749First Air–FAB MEC 1-877-459-3272Freedom–MAG MEC 602-306-1116Hawaiian–HAL MEC 808-836-2572*Independence Air–ACO MEC ASPEN, ext. 6962Island Air–AIS MEC 808-838-0188Jazz–JAZ MEC 1-800-561-9576Kelowna Flightcraft–KFC MEC 250-878-7950Mesa–MAG MEC 602-306-1116Mesaba–MSA MEC 952-853-2389*Midwest Airlines–MEA MEC 508-360-3112North American–NAA MEC 732-778-6969Piedmont–PDT MEC ASPEN, ext. 3274Pinnacle–PCL MEC 901-527-0355PSA–PSA MEC 603-674-9683Ryan–RyN MEC 1-800-292-ALPA*Skyway–SyX MEC 414-481-1481Spirit–SPA MEC 1-800-662-2572Sun Country–SCA MEC 952-853-2393Trans States–TSA MEC 610-805-5387United–UAL MEC 847-292-1700Wasaya–WSG MEC 807-627-9443

*Pilot group in custodianship

The following ALPA resources may be reached by e-mail or by dialing, toll-free, 1-888-359-2572 (1-888-FLy-ALPA). Once connected, dial the last four digits of the number listed below.

Accident Investigation ([email protected]) 703-689-4312

Accounting and Finance ([email protected]) 703-689-4144

Air Line Pilot ([email protected]) 703-481-4460

ALPA main number 703-689-2270

ALPA‑PAC 202-797-4033

ASPEN 703-689-4220

Balloting ([email protected]) 703-689-4173

Cashiering ([email protected]) 703-689-4385

Communications ([email protected]) 703-481-4440

Computer help line ([email protected]) 703-689-4357

Council Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4311

Disciplinary and discharge 703-689-4226

Economic and Financial Analysis ([email protected]) 703-689-4289

Election dates LEC/MEC 703-689-4212

Engineering and Air Safety ([email protected]) 703-689-4200

FAA legal actions 703-689-4226

Government Affairs ([email protected]) 202-797-4033

Human Resources ([email protected]) 703-689-4262

Information Technology and Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4223

Legal ([email protected]) 202-797-4096 703-689-4326

Membership Services ([email protected]) 1-888-359-2572 (1-888-FLy-ALPA), option 3

IT Operations and Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4245

Organizing 703-689-4179

Publishing Services ([email protected]) 703-689-4185

Purchasing ([email protected]) 703-689-4319

Representation ([email protected]) 703-689-4375

Real Estate ([email protected]) 703-689-4105

Retirement and Insurance (R&[email protected]) 703-689-4115

System Board 703-689-4226

Air Line Pilot is not responsible for un solicited manu scripts, photographs, or other ma te r ials. Unsolicited materials will be re turned only if sub-mitted with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily represent official ALPA position or policy.

Subscriptions: Subscription rate for pilot mem bers, $25, included in ALPA member ship dues; for students, $37; for U.S. nonmembers, $50; for foreign, $65. Residents of the state of Washington must add 8.8 percent sales tax. To subscribe or to request address changes, call 703-481-4460.

Address Changes for Members Only: E-mail to [email protected].

Air Line Pilot is printed in the United States and published for professional air-line pilots in the United States and Canada who are members of the Air Line Pilots Association, International.

ALPA Headquarters: 1625 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036

Postmaster: Send address changes to Air Line Pilot, PO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169.

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40620579: Return undeliverable magazines sent to Canadian addresses to B & M Mailing Services Limited, 35 Van Kirk Drive, Unit 15, Brampton, ON L7A1A5. E-mail: [email protected].

other organizationsALPA Aeromedical Office 303-341-4435ALPA Federal Credit Union 1-800-747-2349Assn. of Flight Attendants 202-434-1300

AlPA Accident/Incident HotlineIf you are involved in an accident, incident, or alleged violation of a federal aviation regulation, contact your local or central air safety chairman, regional safety chairman, or the worldwide ALPA ac-cident/incident hotline at 202-797-4180 (collect calls are accepted) for an immediate response 24 hours per day. As a backup number, call 703-892-4180. To report a safety problem or airspace system defi-ciency, call 1-800-424-2470 or e-mail [email protected].

2010 ebCb ScheduleThe Association’s Election and Ballot Cer t i fi cation Board’s schedule for counting ballots is August 10, September 10, October 12, November 10, and December 10. Any ALPA member in good standing may be present as an observer during any meeting. Contact the Association’s Membership and Council Services Department for scheduling.

Editor Sharon B. Vereb

Technical Editor Jan W. Steenblik

Associate Managing Editor Susan Fager

Design and Production Editor William A. Ford

Staff Writer John Perkinson

Contributing Writers Susan Burke, Molly Martin, Linda Shotwell

Web Coordinators Cicely Jenkins, Chris Weaver

Director of Communications Marie Schwartz

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40 Air Line Pilot August 2010

Have You moved?Please call Membership Services at 1-888-359-2572, or e-mail your new address to [email protected],

or clip out this form—along with the mailing label on the left—and send it to:

ALPA Membership ServicesPO Box 1169, Herndon, VA 20172-1169

Name ________________________________________

Member # ____________________________________

Airline ________________________________________

New address __________________________________

Apt. __________ City _________________________

State _________ Zip __________________________