In This Issue:

ALPA’s 112th Executive Board: Recognizing and Responding to Threats
ALPA Files for Exemption from SIC First-Class Medical Requirement
ALPA Hails House Proposal to Prevent Abu Dhabi Customs Preclearance Facility
Kelowna Flightcraft Pilots to Open Early Negotiations
ALPA Acknowledges Student Pilots at 2013 NIFA SAFECON
News on the Net
 

View photos from the meeting.

ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak opened his remarks before the Executive Board by describing the crucial importance that the union and each board member has in advancing the union’s goals by identifying threats while there is still time to act.

Moak noted that the union has heeded the signs on the horizon that traditional negotiating techniques may not always be the best model to create strong and stable labor relations or to achieve contracts that advance pilots’ careers and the airline piloting profession. He pointed to the new and creative approaches ALPA has deployed in its collective bargaining, which, together with traditional strategies, have generated strong results for ALPA’s members in a range of pilot groups.

For more information from the 112th Executive Board meeting, click here.

ALPA, joined by Airlines for America (A4A), petitioned the FAA today to permit pilots flying as second in command (SIC) to continue to operate aircraft in Part 121 operations with a second-class medical certificate after August 1, 2013, instead of a first-class medical certificate. This exemption was filed in response to the FAA’s April 10, 2013, Information for Operators (InFO) bulletin 13004.

In previous messages to the membership, ALPA has recommended that pilots not holding a first-class medical should endeavor to obtain it before August 2, 2013. Today’s petition for exemption from this rule is intended to protect all pilots flying as SICs in Part 121 operations on the basis of the following: P.L. 111-216, which focuses on pilot training and other related qualifications, does not direct the FAA to amend the medical qualifications for these pilots; SICs have operated with second-class medical certificates for decades with no demonstrable safety impact; and, the livelihoods of a significant number of pilots, now and in the future, could be impacted by this ruling.

Read more.

The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), commends actions taken by the House Homeland Security Committee today to require additional oversight of U.S. overseas preclearance facility agreements entered into by U.S. and foreign governments.
In a voice vote today, the House Homeland Security Committee passed an amendment—proposed by Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.)—to H.R. 1417, The Border Security Results Act of 2013, which would require the federal government to consider competitiveness and security issues when entering into reimbursement agreements with foreign governments for additional customs staff at preclearance facilities. The amendment, if ultimately approved by Congress, could prohibit funding for an Abu Dhabi preclearance facility by the government of the United Arab Emirates.

Read the press release.

Attention All Pilots—Visit www.alpa.org/calltoaction to voice your opposition to creation of this CBP preclearance site. Tell your representatives that this proposal is a serious threat to your career and the U.S. airline industry.

The Kelowna Flightcraft (KFC) MEC was invited by the Company to commence early negotiations due to the request for proposal (RFP) process from the Canada Post Group of Companies. The MEC is investigating interest-based negotiations (IBN), which has been successfully used by Wasaya and Bearskin and is currently being utilized by Calm Air in their current contract talks.

While IBN has not been used by KFC during past negotiations, the MEC believes IBN can be of significant benefit as they enter into early negotiations for their fourth collective bargaining agreement. The KFC MEC and Negotiating Committee members, along with Company representatives, will attend an IBN workshop in June, after which the two sides will begin negotiating. A pilot survey being developed by the KFC MEC Contract Study Committee with ALPA’s assistance will be distributed to the pilots, and pilot leaders and negotiators will meet with ALPA staff in July to develop a strategic plan to support the negotiations.

From L to R: F/O David Rowe (Delta) poses with top three national pilots—Jacob Lange from University of North Dakota (third place), Aaron Barthol from Minnesota State University-Mankato (second place), Carl Black of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott (first place)—and F/O Stanley Adams (Compass) after the NIFA SAFECON awards banquet.

ALPA continues to be a proud sponsor of the annual National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (NIFA SAFECON). This year’s week-long competition was hosted by The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, May 6–11.

ALPA pilot volunteers manned a booth at the hangar part of the week to provide the collegiate pilots with educational materials and guidance on the profession. The hot topic of discussion was the new rules going into effect in August for first officers at Part 121 carriers and how the rules and requirements will affect the up-and-coming pilots. Scholarships were awarded on behalf of ALPA to the top national pilot and his school, and the 11 regional top pilot winners. Student pilot Carl Black from the Prescott campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University took the National Top Pilot Award, receiving $1,000 for himself as well as his school. The 11 regional top pilots also received $500 awards from ALPA.

Read more.

• Hawaiian Airlines prices $444.5M in trust certificates for aircraft acquisition (BizJournals.com)
• EU Regulators to Rule on Delta, Virgin Airline Deal by June 20 (Reuters)
• Airline Satisfaction at Highest Levels Among Fliers Since 2006 (ABC News)

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ALPA represents more than 50,000 pilots at 33 airlines in the United States and Canada.
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