June 10, 1999 Hotline

  June 10, 1999


AWA complies with arbitration award

Upcoming publications

Also, Communications Specialist Yvette
Freeman is working on the next issue of MEC Directions, which will discuss the
upcoming elections of MEC officers by the MEC. It is expected to be distributed in the
next week or so.

Disability insurance provider change

FAA reserve duty time

The A, B, and C reserve system here at
America West eliminates most, but not all of the problems that many other airlines will
face. However, enforcement will eliminate the back-to-back assignment of C and A reserve,
among other changes. The MEC has directed the Central Air Safety Committee and the
Negotiating Committee to prepare for discussions with America West on possible changes to
our reserve system.

For additional information on this
topic, please listen to an important update from ALPA president Duane Woerth on the KIT
system.

Local Council meeting

Flight Pay Loss campaign

Several pilots have asked whether they
may donate more than one hour of credit to the program. Unfortunately, the contract limits
individual donations to one hour per year.

Family Awareness picnic

That concludes this week’s update.

Wear your ALPA pin. Come to a council
meeting. Go to the Family Awareness picnic. Get involved with your union. Remember: Unity
begins today for Contract 2000.

The next scheduled hotline update will
be Thursday, June 17th.

  • AWA complies with arbitration award
  • Upcoming publications
  • Disability insurance provider change
  • FAA reserve duty time
  • Local Council meeting
  • Flight Pay Loss campaign
  • Family Awareness picnic
  MEC Hotline
This is Communications Committee Chairman David
Weeks. Tonight’s topics include:


America West is now in compliance with the arbitration award concerning insurance and
medical coverage for disabled pilots. As discussed in an upcoming issue of Just the Facts,
MEC Chairman Don Steinman directed ALPA Legal to pursue enforcement in federal court the
day after a thirty-day timeline in the award elapsed without management compliance.
Management complied with the arbitrator’s orders upon receipt of ALPA Legal’s
Letter of Warning. Complete details will be available in an issue of Just the Facts to be
distributed by mail. The issue will also be posted to the MEC website at www.awalpa.org.

Several publications are in final stages of preparation. In addition to the forthcoming Just
The Facts on the arbitration enforcement, PBS Committee Vice Chairman David Weeks is
working on a new publication, PBS On the Line. It will discuss the timetable for
development, testing, and implementation of PBS. That issue is expected to be distributed
to all pilots within the next two weeks.


The MEC has received notice from the company that it intends to change the disability
insurance vendor from Aetna to Metropolitan Life. To date, America West has fulfilled its
contractual obligations to notify the Association and provide preliminary information
about this change. Both the MEC and ALPA’s Retirement and Insurance department will
monitor the changeover to ensure that there is no reduction in benefits.

At the urging of ALPA, the FAA has put the industry on notice that it plans to begin fully
enforcing FAR 121 crew rest regulations as they apply to reserve pilots. Unless
successfully challenged in court, the FAA will order airlines and airmen to apply the same
crew rest provisions to reserve duty as are applied to flight duty.


In response to numerous pilot requests to have Local Council meetings closer to those
pilots in the south and east valley areas, the next local council meeting will be held on
June 30 from 6-10 p.m. at the Best Western Grace Inn of Ahwatukee. The hotel is located at
the southwest corner of Elliot Road and the I-10 interchange.

The Flight Pay Loss Donation campaign is off to a successful start. We have over 85
donations from pilots willing to donate one hour of credit to help offset MEC Flight Pay
loss expenses. Flight Pay Loss is our biggest single budget expense, and will only grow as
we gear up for Contract 2000. Please complete the form that was distributed last week, or
call the office to have a form mailed to you. If you donate to the program, your bank will
be reduced by one hour, unless you are at max negative bank.


This is a final reminder that the Family Awareness Committee will hold a free summer
picnic on Saturday, June 12 from 3pm to 7pm, at McCormick Railroad Park in Scottsdale. The
park is at the corner of Scottsdale road and Indian Bend. All members and their families
are invited.