January 7, 1999
ALPA, Intl
Committees
Medical Insurance Premiums Increase
As a New Year’s present to the pilot group, commencing January 1 management passed along
increased medical insurance premiums to pilots in a manner that the MEC believes is
extra-contractual. Working with ALPA National, R&I Committee Chairman Bill Winsberg
has provided management with corrected premium calculations for review. If an agreement
cannot be reached, resolution will be achieved through the grievance process.
In the meantime, management has informed us that benefits
notifications have been distributed. If you have not received yours already, it should be
in your mailbox within the next few days.
LEC Chairman Ballots
Ballots for the Council 62 LEC chairman election will be mailed to all members on Friday,
January 8th. The ballots have a postmark return deadline of January 30th
and will be counted at ALPA Herndon on February 10th or 11th. On
your ballot will be the names of the four representatives elected last fall. The
representative who receives the most votes will be local council chairman. The
representative who receives the second highest vote total will be local council
vice-chairman.
The LEC chairman election marks the completion of our
council restructuring that began last year. On March 1st the newly elected
representatives will assume their duties as MEC members and local council officers
alongside the three current MEC officers. On that day, for the first time in its history,
the ALPA leadership structure at America West will match the standard ALPA model: with
elected representatives and local council officers who are separate and distinct from the
three MEC officers.
All members are strongly encouraged to participate in this
election. We will announce the results of the vote on the February 11 hotline.
If you do not receive a ballot by mid-January, please call
the MEC office so that we can update your address and arrange for a replacement ballot.
Merger Fund Delinquents
Excepting those pilots who were apprentice members or on probation in 1998, letters will
go out in the next few days to all pilots who have not paid their merger fund assessment
in full. These pilots will face charges and a hearing under Article VIII of the ALPA
Constitution and By-Laws in the near future, and may be subject to expulsion from ALPA and
termination by America West.
All pilots should remember that the obligation to pay the
merger fund is identical to the obligation to pay dues or agency shop fees. The
Constitution and By-Laws states that any member may be disciplined, fined or expelled for
refusing or willfully neglecting to pay dues or assessments. Section 29 of the contract
further states that a pilot who remains delinquent in dues, service charges, or
assessments is subject to discharge by America West.
Contract 2000 Negotiations Info
As we move closer to negotiations for Contract 2000, all pilots will begin receiving more
information concerning our preparations and activities via publications from the
Negotiating Committee, the MEC, and the Strike Preparedness Committee.
We expect to begin distributing these publications within
the next month or so. It is important that all AWA pilots make sure that the MEC office
has your correct mailing address, because some publications will be distributed by mail.
One of our primary goals both prior to and during negotiations will be to keep the entire
pilot group as informed and up-to-date as possible. In order to do that, we must have your
correct mailing address. If you have moved recently, or are unsure of whether we have your
correct address on file, please drop your correct address and phone number in the ALPA
box, or call the office at earliest convenience.
Holiday Gifts
This year, the ALPA and AFA MECs jointly provided holiday gifts or refreshments to Phoenix
Tower and TRACON and to the Christmas day crew at the Sky Harbor firehouse. We wanted to
let them know that their efforts are much appreciated.
That concludes this week’s Hotline update. Fly safe; fly
your contract; and wear your pins and ribbons. The next hotline update will be on
Thursday, January 14. Thanks for listening.
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| Don Steinman for the MEC: |