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ALPA: Level the Playing Field for U.S. Airlines and Their Employees
A new report issued today by the Air Line Pilots
Association, Int’l (ALPA), highlights the growing threat of
state-sponsored foreign competition and underscores the need
for fundamental changes in laws and regulations that govern
the U.S. airline industry and its employees. The white
paper, “Leveling the Playing Field,” calls on the U.S.
government to promote a business environment that gives U.S.
carriers the ability to compete and prevail in the
international marketplace, especially given the strong
competitive cost advantages of many foreign carriers. The
white paper is an updated version of a report released last
June.
Read the full report here. |
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Tornadoes and Fires Ravage Oklahoma and California—Help Fellow Pilots through AERF
Over the weekend, Oklahoma was once more devastated by
strong tornadoes, while wildfires are currently threatening
over 1,000 homes in California and New Mexico. ALPA’s
Emergency Relief Fund (AERF) stands ready to assist our
members affected by these events—but to do so, we need your
help.
AERF provides for the immediate needs of all ALPA members
and their families who fall victim to widespread disasters.
Funded largely from contributions by ALPA members and staff,
AERF covers early out-of-pocket expenses to help pilots and
their families recover faster. To learn how AERF made a
difference for those affected by October’s Hurricane Sandy,
simply follow this link to an article in the
April 2013 issue of
Air Line Pilot magazine. To learn more about the
fund, make a donation, or request a grant, visit
www.alpa.org/relieffund. Donations are tax-deductible in
the United States. |
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NOW AVAILABLE – ALPAgear.com; ALPA’s online store!
By popular demand, introducing ALPAgear.com:
casual clothing and merchandise for the airline pilot or airline
pilot enthusiast.
Polo shirts, jackets, and
accessories—products to suit your off-duty, casual lifestyle. Wear
ALPAgear apparel and show your unity and your pride!
Shop now at
ALPAgear.com! |
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ALPA and AFA-CWA Stand Together in Support of HIMS/FADAP Programs
Yesterday, Capt. Lee Moak, president of ALPA, and Veda
Shook, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
(AFA-CWA), sent a joint letter to FAA Administrator Michael
Huerta urging that the FAA find funding to continue these
programs for the remainder of FY2013. Both the Human
Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) and Flight Attendant
Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP) have contracts which expire
in July and September respectfully, and are in danger during
this austere budget period. HIMS and FADAP are on the front
lines to identify and assess pilots and flight attendants in
need of recovery programs, and facilitate their return to
the line.
Read the full letter here. |
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Calm Air MEC Endorses Tentative Agreement
Now that pilot leaders at Manitoba-based Calm Air have
endorsed a tentative contract agreement with management, the
carrier’s 87 line pilots are also hearing details of the
proposal. The CMA MEC unanimously gave its support to the TA
after meeting on Sunday, and pilot road shows opened in
Winnipeg yesterday. The road shows continued today and
tomorrow at the airline’s bases in Winnipeg and Thompson,
Manitoba.
CMA negotiators reached an agreement with Calm Air using an
interest-based bargaining approach supervised by a federal
mediator. Calm Air is owned by Exchange Income Corporation
of Winnipeg, which owns several other airlines, including ALPA carrier Bearskin Airlines. Details of the TA will be
released after the conclusion of the road shows. |
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IATA Adopts Agreement on Carbon-Neutral Growth
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which
represents some 240 airlines in 118 countries, recently
adopted a new agreement aimed at carbon-neutral growth using
reductions in fuel usage and other efficiencies, combined
with a single market-based measure (MBM) as needed. ALPA has
long advocated greater fuel efficiency through better
technology and safe procedures as the means for further
reducing the very small share of man-made greenhouse gases
produced by aviation.
Read the full story. |
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Correction: Zoloft Okay for Pilots, Paxil Not
The HealthWatch column in the June 2013 issue of Air Line
Pilot contained an error: Paxil was listed as one of the
four prescription antidepressant medications that the FAA
will approve pilots to use, if they meet certain other
requirements. In fact, Paxil is not approved; however,
Zoloft is approved, as are Celexa, Lexapro, and Prozac.
We regret the error. |
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FEEDBACK & EMAIL 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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ALPA
represents more than 50,000 pilots at 33 airlines in the
United States and Canada.
Visit us online at
www.alpa.org. |
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