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News from ALPA International

September 18, 2012

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In This Issue:

ALPA, Others Ask President to Seek ICAO Help with EU ETS
The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, and 18 other airline industry stakeholders on September 17 sent a joint letter to President Barack Obama, requesting that he initiate an Article 84 proceeding with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The group is asking for the president’s assistance in addressing complaints regarding the European Union’s emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The letter explains, “An Article 84 proceeding under the Chicago Convention is the dispute mechanism to which all 191 ICAO Member States have agreed by treaty.” By initiating an Article 84 proceeding, President Obama would be asking ICAO’s Council to intervene to address an issue the United States and the EU have not been able to resolve themselves.

Read more.

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Pilots Welcome KCM to IAH, JFK


View a photo slideshow of the new checkpoints.

The latest pilot screening points for the Known Crewmember (KCM) program, developed jointly by ALPA and Airlines for America (A4A), were activated today at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. Access points for IAH are at Terminal E, entry near Lane 6 of the security checkpoint; and at Terminal A, direct access beside the checkpoint exit lane.

“The XJT pilot group has been waiting for a solution like this,” said F/O Drew Wilkens, XJT Security Committee chairman. “KCM has been very much anticipated and will be a very welcome change in IAH.”

Noted Capt. Jay Pierce, CAL MEC chairman, “I’m glad to see KCM being implemented at more airports, for use by more ALPA pilots. The program recognizes our professionalism and reflects the responsibilities we hold as trusted crewmembers.”

Pilots at JFK were also able to transit security via the new KCM checkpoints at Terminals 3, 5, and 8.

Read more.

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PCL Pilots Respond to Section 1113 Bankruptcy Filing
Pinnacle MEC chairman Capt. Tom Wychor recently released the following statement regarding the Section 1113 filing by Pinnacle Corporation:

“Late last (Thursday) night Pinnacle filed a motion in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to reject the pilots’ collective bargaining agreement. While this filing was expected, we do not think that it was necessary for Pinnacle to take this step so shortly after contract negotiations resumed. We believe the filing is an ill-advised distraction from the real work of negotiating a consensual agreement that maintains industry standard pay, work rules, and benefits and can garner pilot support to help Pinnacle move through this difficult period.

“We acknowledge that concessions are necessary to allow Pinnacle to successfully reorganize. The extraordinary level of concessions sought by Pinnacle, however, would set a new floor for pilot contracts within the regional airline industry. The bottom line is this: in the five months since company executives filed for bankruptcy, they have not been able to justify the level of concessions they are seeking.

Read more.

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NTSB Chair Says Key to Aviation Safety is “Cooperation”
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman spoke today at the Aero Club of Washington, D.C., on the topic of “Improving Aviation Safety: Reactive, Predictive, Preventive.”

“As a result of a lot of hard work by people in this room--including operators, like the A4A members here today; labor, like NATCA and ALPA; manufacturers, like Boeing and Airbus; regulators and legislators--there's been great progress in improving commercial aviation safety. The result: no fatal air carrier accidents since 2009,” she noted.

Read more.

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EGL MEC Starts TA Road Shows


View a photo slideshow of the road shows.

The American Eagle MEC and Negotiating Committee this week launched a three-week series of road shows to all domiciles to explain the details of and answer questions about the Tentative Agreement reached with management. Pilot negotiators reached the bankruptcy deal in August, and final language was approved by the MEC last week.

The road show schedule kicked off in EGL’s LaGuardia domicile and will conclude in the San Juan domicile October 6.

Negotiating Committee chairman Capt. Doug Gibbs fielded many questions about the pay banding concept—designed to reduce training events—that is an essential component of the agreement.

Read more.

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PSA Pilots Announce $1 Million Grant for Strategic Preparedness
With US Airways recently reporting its largest single quarterly profit in its history, the pilots of PSA Airlines will receive a $1 million grant from their international union, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, to assist them as they near completion of contract negotiations with PSA management.

ALPA’s Executive Board unanimously approved the $1 million grant from its Major Contingency Fund (MCF). The MCF is ALPA’s “war chest,” providing pilot groups with the necessary resources for strategic preparedness—including pilot communications, family awareness activities, and preparation for a strike should one become necessary.

“As the PSA pilots head into endgame negotiations, they have the unwavering support of their union and their fellow ALPA pilots,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president. “PSA pilots are committed to achieving a consensual agreement. But they demand a fair, improved contract that recognizes the vital role PSA pilots play in their airline’s continued success. ALPA is fully committed to helping them achieve that goal.”

Read more.

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

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

• According to Forbes, Congress and opinion leaders who shape national policy are disappointingly shortsighted regarding NextGen, the omnibus program to upgrade the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. Read more.

• The Miami Herald reports that the number of long delays in July involving planes stuck on airport tarmacs was more than the previous eight months combined. Read more.

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OMB Report: Sequestration Will Jeopardize Aviation Programs
On Friday, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a 394-page report which outlines the impact of automatic budget cuts (“sequestration”) required if Congress can’t agree on a deficit reduction plan. This report confirms what ALPA has been predicting over the summer, that should sequestration take effect on January 1, 2013, federal programs critical to airline pilots and the aviation system will be in jeopardy. Read the full report.

Under a sequestration scenario, mandatory spending cuts will be implemented to reduce the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion through FY 2021. According to the sequestration report, $109 billion in cuts will be required each year (half from cuts to defense programs and half in non-defense, such as aviation and homeland security).

Read more.

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Welcome Back, Parliament!
The 2nd session of the 41st Parliament resumed on Monday, September 17, when the members of parliament (MPs) returned from their ridings after a two-and-a-half-month summer break on the barbecue circuit. They will be ready to pick up where they left off as the unfinished business will be reassigned position on the Order Paper in the House of Commons.

Among the issues ALPA will be actively engaged in is working to defeat Bill C-377, an Act to Amend the Income Tax Act for Labour Organizations. This bill, supported by MPs from the Conservative Party, would place unwarranted, onerous monetary reporting requirements on labour organizations such as ALPA. The bill had passed Second Reading prior to recess and was referred to the Finance Committee, which will begin deliberations on it this fall. ALPA will be coordinating its efforts in opposition to C-377 with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). The current Conservative government holds a comfortable majority in both the House and the Senate, which virtually ensures passage of legislation that they introduce or support.

Read more.

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August Advocates
Last month, pilots from around the country took part in ALPA’s newest grassroots program—“August Advocates.” ALPA volunteers set up and attended meetings with congressmen and senators in their local district offices during the August district work period to discuss the Safe Skies Act and ALPA’s “Leveling the Playing Field” agenda.

“Meeting with Congressman (John) Yarmuth (D-Ky.) in his home district offered a convenient way for me to be involved in politics without traveling far from home,” XJT pilot and legislative coordinator Leah Morgenthau said of her experience. “Setting up the meeting was easy, and I felt like both the member and his staff were concerned about all the issues we touched on. I was proud to be able to voice the concerns of other ALPA pilots directly to my representative.”

ALPA pilots interested in doing advocacy work with federal representatives in their state should contact Carly Hepola at Carly.Hepola@alpa.org.

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

Read about significant improvements to ALPA’s members-only insurance plans on page 30 of the September issue of Air Line Pilot magazine.

On the 18th installment of The FlightDeck, watch a segment on the new pilot bill of rights.

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

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Correction
In the Executive Board coverage from Tuesday’s FastRead, we misrepresented Capt. Erik Jensen’s presentation at the plenary. We sincerely apologize to Capt. Jensen.

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FastFact
Do you know about the Air Line Pilots Association Federal Credit Union? This institution offers savings and trust accounts, individual retirement accounts, loans, credit cards, and a host of other services. Join ALPA FCU today! To find out more, go to alpafcu.org.

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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes
Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at communications@alpa.org.

If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices, and once your postal forwarding order expires, you’ll no longer receive the magazine and other ALPA mail. You can do it yourself by going to www.alpa.org and logging in. Go to “My ALPA” in the menu at the top of the page, and from there, you’ll be instructed how to make the necessary changes.

If you don’t have access to the members-only section of www.alpa.org, you can e-mail your requests by sending them to membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us what information needs to be updated.

Please note that it is not sufficient just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon.

Can’t remember your member number or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting membership@alpa.org.

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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
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