In support of our
negotiating team and their efforts, your MEC will have a special Contract 2000 Kickoff on
Monday, February 7th from 9am to 5pm at the Terminal 4 Conference Room, just southeast of
the food court. I strongly encourage all pilots to stop in throughout the day either
before or after a trip, to talk to your local reps and various committee chairmen, get
important information about the negotiations, and have some refreshments with us. Even if
you’re not flying that day and you’ll be in town, please stop by the kickoff
event to show your support. We will be distributing green pin backs to be worn with your
ALPA pin, as I discussed in my letter to you this week. It’s time to show up and be
counted. Again, it’s this Monday, February 7th, from 9am to 5pm at the Terminal 4
conference room.
Local Council and
LEC Meetings
Also, earlier in the
day, the LEC will hold its regular monthly meeting here at the MEC office from 11am to
1pm. If you have time, you may want to drop in on that meeting as well.
Communications Tools
The second tool I urge
you to use is our ALPA website. There is plenty of public information, but there’s
much more on the members only area. If you haven’t done so, get a password, get
online, and get on board. We’ve added an MEC calendar, safety bulletins, company read
file items, and a large reference file.
Do your part. Stay
informed.
Alaska 261
That’s it for this
week. The next hotline will be Thursday, February 10. Thanks for listening.
Contract 2000 Kickoff
Local Council and LEC meetings
Communications Tools
Alaska 261
MEC Hotline
Good evening, this is MEC Chairman Roger Cox
with the MEC Hotline update for Thursday, February 3. Tonight’s topics are:
Your negotiators and I spent last week in Washington D.C. meeting with the company’s
team under the supervision of the National Mediation Board. Our purpose was to lay the
groundwork for constructive and expeditious negotiations. Next Monday, we open.
The next Local Council meeting will be held next week also, on Tuesday, February 8th
at 6pm, at the DoubleTree Hotel, here in Phoenix. Mr. Gil Mook, president and chief
operating officer of America West Airlines, will be the guest speaker. In view of all the
news coverage lately concerning America West’s maintenance problems, as well as the
start of our negotiations, I think all pilots should make it a point to attend this very
important council meeting.
Of the many ways we have to keep you informed, there are two I’d like to emphasize
tonight. The first is this KIT system. When you are finished with this hotline, back out
to the main menu and listen to the weekly negotiations update. Then cruise the other
committee messages as well. When you hear a rumor or have a question, you can leave that
question with the appropriate committee. Before you repeat what you hear, verify.
I have expressed our deepest condolences on your behalf to the Alaska MEC, and in turn to
the crew, families, and passengers who lost their lives in this tragic accident. There
will soon be a time where the media will be breaking the bounds of decency as they pursue
this story, and I will vigorously protest their misuse of private details such as CVR
transcripts. I hope you all agree that we as airline professionals will not entertain any
public speculation about this accident, and will allow the NTSB to do its job. This is a
time to show support for your fellow professionals and their families, and I hope you will
say a word of encouragement to the Alaska family when you can.