We’ve kept our members up-to-date on the volcanic ash situation in Europe with three FastRead Newsflashes this week, which informed our pilots about the various fly zones and warning signs, ALPA’s position on resuming flights and remaining vigilant to stay clear of any hazard, and both airborne and ground operations guidelines. Each of our MECs with members affected by the European airspace closure have worked non-stop throughout the past 10 days to mitigate the hardships. This latest volcanic ash episode has caused the most severe impact of aviation in Europe since WWII.
We continue to maintain close contact with manufacturers, regulators, and scientists on the effect that volcanic ash has on our aircraft in order to develop the most accurate information possible for our crews to use.
On Wednesday, representatives of ALPA’s Airport and Ground Environment (AGE) group participated in a meeting of the Runway Safety Council (RSC). The FAA’s director of runway safety noted that there have been four serious runway incursions to date in FY 2010, but that the trend was down from previous years. This issue remains on ALPA’s radar as key to maintaining aviation safety, and I thank our safety reps for staying involved in these important discussions.
After announcing its upcoming Safety Forum on Professionalism on Monday, the NTSB asked the chairs of three ALPA groups—Capt. John Sluys (ALA) of the Professional Development Group; Capt. John Rosenberg (DAL) of the Professional Standards Committee; and Capt. Tim Flaherty (DAL) of the Air Traffic Services Group—to serve as panelists. As practitioners in their respective fields, each of these ALPA leaders will address the subject of enhancing professionalism. The NTSB forum, chaired by NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman, will take place here in Washington, DC, May 18-20.
On the pilot group front, the ALPA leaders of Piedmont Airlines applied for mediation with the National Mediation Board this week. The application comes after 11 months of contract talks with the company, resulting in agreement on only two contract sections and continuous stalling from management. The NMB will assign a mediator to assist in moving the two sides toward an agreement.
The Colgan Negotiating Committee met with management in Memphis for two days late last week. They currently have a total of 9 sections open on the table and 15 that have been TA’d, leaving only about 5 sections remaining open. For a Negotiating Committee that has only been bargaining for eight months and has to write each proposal from scratch, their progress toward their first contract is commendable.
Also during this bargaining session, Colgan management expressed a desire to increase the pace of negotiations by increasing both the frequency and duration of the bargaining sessions—a signal that management wants to work with the Colgan pilots to help secure a contract quickly. The Negotiating Committee has expressed its appreciation to pilot leaders at Pinnacle, Continental, and other pilot groups for their assistance in preparing for their negotiations. This is another great example of how pilots—through ALPA—can help each other advance their goals.
The Evergreen negotiating team and leadership have announced a Tentative Agreement under NMB mediation and are working on language and communications to their members. I know that those of you who have been through difficult corporate situations and excruciating negotiations with your management send the Evergreen crewmembers a congratulations. Hard work remains ahead for our Evergreen leaders, and they know that we are prepared to assist them.
As you know from my previous reports, we have been working with Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) and others to obtain enactment of H.R. 4788, the Aviation Outsourcing Prevention Act. United and Delta pilots were all over Capitol Hill this week with the Government Affairs Department staff in support of this vital legislation. Recently, the Air Transport Association circulated a paper to congressional offices that mischaracterizes and distorts the purpose of H.R. 4788. I guess you could say the ATA is now “outsourcing the truth.”
I sent a letter to members of both the House and Senate that responds to these inaccuracies, and I’m proud to report that 34 members of the House have already co-sponsored this legislation, with more to come. Please encourage your pilots to continue supporting this bill in our Call to Action at this critical time.
Also this week, the House Agriculture Committee reported on the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010. This comprehensive commodity reform legislation would close the loopholes that have allowed banks and speculators to drive up the price of oil, which results in high energy costs to business and consumers alike. The bill places clear limits on the amount of speculation that individual traders and massive hedge funds can undertake. It also requires that traders make these transactions through a regulated exchange or trading facility cleared through a central clearinghouse, which will ensure the stability and transparency that this market has been lacking in recent years.
This legislation will likely be folded into a larger financial regulation reform bill that could be taken up in the Senate as early as next week. As you know, I testified before the House and Senate on this issue. ALPA is the only pilots union that joined with the industry to bring legislative focus on the extreme impact that oil gamblers were having on the costs of jet fuel. Our committee on aviation sustainability has worked on this issue as well as on environmental proposals that could adversely affect the airline business. Check out the Stop Oil Speculation Now Coalition’s grassroots website to contact your senators and ask them to support this important legislation.
On Friday, Director of Representation Bruce York and I presented ALPA’s views on the state of industry labor management relations to the annual meeting of Air Conference.
We continue to maintain close contact with manufacturers, regulators, and scientists on the effect that volcanic ash has on our aircraft in order to develop the most accurate information possible for our crews to use.
On Wednesday, representatives of ALPA’s Airport and Ground Environment (AGE) group participated in a meeting of the Runway Safety Council (RSC). The FAA’s director of runway safety noted that there have been four serious runway incursions to date in FY 2010, but that the trend was down from previous years. This issue remains on ALPA’s radar as key to maintaining aviation safety, and I thank our safety reps for staying involved in these important discussions.
After announcing its upcoming Safety Forum on Professionalism on Monday, the NTSB asked the chairs of three ALPA groups—Capt. John Sluys (ALA) of the Professional Development Group; Capt. John Rosenberg (DAL) of the Professional Standards Committee; and Capt. Tim Flaherty (DAL) of the Air Traffic Services Group—to serve as panelists. As practitioners in their respective fields, each of these ALPA leaders will address the subject of enhancing professionalism. The NTSB forum, chaired by NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman, will take place here in Washington, DC, May 18-20.
On the pilot group front, the ALPA leaders of Piedmont Airlines applied for mediation with the National Mediation Board this week. The application comes after 11 months of contract talks with the company, resulting in agreement on only two contract sections and continuous stalling from management. The NMB will assign a mediator to assist in moving the two sides toward an agreement.
The Colgan Negotiating Committee met with management in Memphis for two days late last week. They currently have a total of 9 sections open on the table and 15 that have been TA’d, leaving only about 5 sections remaining open. For a Negotiating Committee that has only been bargaining for eight months and has to write each proposal from scratch, their progress toward their first contract is commendable.
Also during this bargaining session, Colgan management expressed a desire to increase the pace of negotiations by increasing both the frequency and duration of the bargaining sessions—a signal that management wants to work with the Colgan pilots to help secure a contract quickly. The Negotiating Committee has expressed its appreciation to pilot leaders at Pinnacle, Continental, and other pilot groups for their assistance in preparing for their negotiations. This is another great example of how pilots—through ALPA—can help each other advance their goals.
The Evergreen negotiating team and leadership have announced a Tentative Agreement under NMB mediation and are working on language and communications to their members. I know that those of you who have been through difficult corporate situations and excruciating negotiations with your management send the Evergreen crewmembers a congratulations. Hard work remains ahead for our Evergreen leaders, and they know that we are prepared to assist them.
As you know from my previous reports, we have been working with Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) and others to obtain enactment of H.R. 4788, the Aviation Outsourcing Prevention Act. United and Delta pilots were all over Capitol Hill this week with the Government Affairs Department staff in support of this vital legislation. Recently, the Air Transport Association circulated a paper to congressional offices that mischaracterizes and distorts the purpose of H.R. 4788. I guess you could say the ATA is now “outsourcing the truth.”
I sent a letter to members of both the House and Senate that responds to these inaccuracies, and I’m proud to report that 34 members of the House have already co-sponsored this legislation, with more to come. Please encourage your pilots to continue supporting this bill in our Call to Action at this critical time.
Also this week, the House Agriculture Committee reported on the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010. This comprehensive commodity reform legislation would close the loopholes that have allowed banks and speculators to drive up the price of oil, which results in high energy costs to business and consumers alike. The bill places clear limits on the amount of speculation that individual traders and massive hedge funds can undertake. It also requires that traders make these transactions through a regulated exchange or trading facility cleared through a central clearinghouse, which will ensure the stability and transparency that this market has been lacking in recent years.
This legislation will likely be folded into a larger financial regulation reform bill that could be taken up in the Senate as early as next week. As you know, I testified before the House and Senate on this issue. ALPA is the only pilots union that joined with the industry to bring legislative focus on the extreme impact that oil gamblers were having on the costs of jet fuel. Our committee on aviation sustainability has worked on this issue as well as on environmental proposals that could adversely affect the airline business. Check out the Stop Oil Speculation Now Coalition’s grassroots website to contact your senators and ask them to support this important legislation.
On Friday, Director of Representation Bruce York and I presented ALPA’s views on the state of industry labor management relations to the annual meeting of Air Conference.
