Good evening, this is MEC Secretary-Treasurer Mike Calabrese with the MEC
Hotline update for Thursday, January 20. Tonight’s topics are:
B-Reserve Start Times
While the Association is open to proposals regarding changes and improvements to
our contract, as well as ensuring that reserve pilots receive the adequate amount of rest,
we will only do so via the appropriate negotiating process. The ALPA Scheduling Committee
plans to meet with Crew Resources in the near future to discuss several scheduling
inadequacies, including reserve/rest requirements.
Tax-Free Spending Account
The company is working diligently to ensure that all pilots receive their
reimbursements. Should you have any questions, please call Ms. Diane Welle, Benefits
Department, ext. 8910.
Negotiating Committee Training
I would like to remind you that Contract 2000 negotiations begin February 7th
– just three weeks from now. Within the next few weeks, you will receive at your home
address, the January issue of Table Talk, from the Negotiating Committee, in
addition to information from the MEC. I encourage every pilot here at America West to stay
informed about our contract negotiations. Read all of the publications you receive from
the Association. Listen to the MEC and Negotiating Committee hotlines. Finally, attend the
monthly Local Council meetings, and seek out your LEC representatives and discuss your
concerns about Contract 2000.
We are about to embark on one of the most important events in our careers here at
America West. It deserves your full attention and your full support.
Contract 2000 Web Page
Crew Meals Comment Forms
Local Council Meeting
That’s it for tonight. The next hotline update will be on Thursday, January 27.
Thanks for listening, and remember to wear your ALPA pin proudly, as a sign of our
solidarity.
B-Reserve Start Times
Tax-Free Spending Account
Negotiating Committee Training
Contract 2000 Web Page
Crew Meals Comment Forms
Local Council Meeting
MEC Hotline
Earlier this week, the MEC learned that Crew Resources unilaterally changed the
B-reserve start time from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM. This was done in an apparent effort to help
Crew Resources comply with the new FAR Reserve/Rest requirements. We immediately notified
the company that it was in violation of the contract, and demanded that they “cease
and desist” the practice. Crew Resources has complied, and the standby duty hours, as
outlined in LOA-13, paragraph L 1. (A), (B), and (C)., are back in force.
Many pilots who have tax-free spending accounts may have noticed a delay in receiving
their reimbursements for their December medical expenses. According to AWA Benefits
Director, Ms. Diane Welle, the company that was administering the tax-free spending
account, known as TPA, is no longer handling our account. Their contract expired on
December 31st and America West Airlines had notified them that they were not
going to renew their contract. America West assumed that TPA would complete all
transactions through the end of December, but unfortunately this was not to be the case.
As the story goes, TPA delivered a cardboard box full of unresolved bills to America West
in the beginning of January, and said, “see yah”! What was that acronym for
“assume”? Consequently, being that these bills will be processed internally,
there will be a slight delay for those pilots expecting medical reimbursements from their
tax-free spending accounts.
The Negotiating Committee, along with Contract Administrator Andrew Shostack, MEC Chairman
Roger Cox, and Scheduling Committee Chairman Fred Eccles, will attend Interest-Based
Bargaining training in Washington, D.C. next week. Members of the company’s
negotiating team will also attend the training.
To help pilots stay informed about our negotiations, we have added a special web page on
our web site dedicated entirely to Contract 2000 information. After you have logged in to
the web site and navigated to the ALPA AWA Committees page, just click on the Contract
2000 logo. The Contract 2000 web page will include hotline messages from the Negotiating
Committee, links to Contract 2000 publications, and a calendar of events.
Crew Meals Committee Chairman, Captain Jerry Hargis encourages pilots to submit crew meal
comment forms to him via the ALPA box in the Pilot Lounge. In order to get improvements in
our crew meals, we need your feedback on their quality and timeliness. The comment forms
are located in the Crew Meals folder in the ALPA drawer of the filing cabinet in the PHX
crew lounge.
The next Local Council meeting is scheduled for 6 PM. on February 8th at the
Double Tree Guest Suites, 320 No. 44th Street. All pilots are encouraged to
attend.