This is Eric Edwards with the MEC Hotline
on Friday, February 14th. Tonight’s topics:
1. TA/Language Writing Update
2. Cockpit Jumpseat Access for Mesa Pilots
3. Applicants Wanted for Federal Flight Deck Officer Training Program
4. “Act Now Movement”
5. MEC Office Closing
TA/Language Writing Update
The language writing continues and the
process is slowly narrowing the open issues that remain outstanding. While
much of the language pertaining to the mediator’s proposal has been written
and agreed to, it has been more difficult to attain closure on the larger
number of open items that were not addressed. The MEC reconvened this
week in closed session to seek more information and negotiating perspective
on the open item list that is available for all to view on the MEC website.
Given the necessity for clear contractual language, this whole process
has been slower than originally anticipated. Slowing down the process
further has been the receipt of management language that was changed in
some form without reference or notation to our team. This has forced us
to spend additional time re-reading sections to insure that agreed-upon
language is still consistent with previous versions. This particular issue
was addressed with senior management this week and it should not re-occur.
It also appears that both sides have parallel
instructions to tighten up language in all sections to each side’s benefit.
While this is understandable and predictable, it has made completing this
project difficult as each side maintains strong views and positions on
a number of items. While nobody is calling this process a negotiation,
it has become one — albeit a smaller one — covering a limited number
of paragraphs. During the Tuesday MEC meeting, the ALPA positions were
revisited, some were prioritized, while others were subject to language
changes intending to solve problem areas.
On Thursday, a smaller ALPA team met with
a smaller management team, which included COO Jeff McClelland, to step
the process up a level and attempt to find more common ground on open
issues. The meeting was both civil and productive and the MEC should have
an answer back early next week on how many issues were able to be closed.
Results are what matter so we will report back details when we receive
them or return for additional talks. The MEC will update the website as
agreements are reached.
Patience is generally not a pilot trait
as we are trained all our lives to fix problems NOW lest we become a statistic.
I ask all of you to show some patience as this MEC continues its efforts
to complete the TA process and present an entire document to the pilot
group. This timeline was never anticipated as the volume of writing required
was never fully appreciated. It is understood that a vacuum of information
will be filled by alternate sources barring official news. Theories abound
from a number of places but little of the scuttle has been accurate. We
will keep facts coming as well as a TA document when it is finished. In
the interim, I will not produce fiction to fill space or bide time. Knowing
that pilots are ultimately rational and level-headed, I ask all of you
to remain professional to one another and vote when the TA arrives.
Cockpit Jumpseat Access for Mesa Pilots
Mesa jumpseat riders were subject to the
same verification procedures as our own pilots some months back. There
are no jumpseat wars nor do we have any need to start any. Our local FAA
inspectors were not satisfied with Mesa Airlines’ procedure for identifying
or retrieving lost or stolen identification badges and requested that
Mesa to establish an acceptable procedure. Mesa did not meet the FAA’s
February deadline. Mesa is, however, in the process of printing a revision
to their own operations manual and when finished, Mesa pilots will be
approved again for cockpit jumpseat access.
In the meantime, we are still waiting on
an announcement on some kind of timetable for the return of offline cockpit
jumpseat access for all pilots. It was reported that all previous electronic
verification tests in conjunction with the TSA were successful and ALPA
National is working with the TSA to finalize all details.
Applicants Wanted for Federal Flight
Deck Officer Training Program
Several months ago, ALPA recommended to
the Transportation Security Administration that it create a “pilot”
Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) training program to test its curriculum
before expanding its use to train pilots nationwide. TSA has endorsed
that concept and is now soliciting from ALPA the names of qualified volunteers
for its first class of 48 pilots. ALPA members who are interested in being
considered for the initial class of FFDO volunteers should submit an online
application (available on the ALPA website at www.alpa.org) no later than
February 18. Applications will be reviewed by MEC Security Committee Chairman
Barry Kendrick and selected applicants will be forwarded on to an ALPA
review panel made up of three representatives from Security Committees
of all-cargo ALPA carriers. The panel will review the submitted applications
and forward a certain number of those applications to the TSA for further
consideration. The TSA will then directly contact those applicants that
it wishes to interview for the initial class. This is completely voluntary
– there is no pay for training and selected applicants must make their
own arrangements to attend the class. Any pilot not selected for this
initial class will soon be able to apply to the TSA directly to be included
in future classes.
“Act Now Movement”
It has come to the MEC’s attention that
certain America West pilots who call themselves the “Act Now Movement”
are apparently advocating various potential future programs or actions
related to the ongoing collective bargaining process involving ALPA and
America West. These individuals openly state in their telephone message
hotline and on their non-ALPA website that they are posting information
and advocating positions that are not authorized, supported or condoned
by ALPA. To be clear, these potential programs are expressly contrary
to ALPA’s longstanding position regarding such matters. ALPA and the America
West MEC expressly repudiate the statements of these individuals, who
do not speak for the MEC or ALPA.
The only present action that these individuals
have called for thus far asks America West pilots to cancel their dues
check off authorizations for ALPA dues, a move clearly calculated to harm
ALPA. This “Act Now” group is not only not connected with ALPA
and acting contrary to ALPA’s express wishes, but evidently consists of
dissidents who desire to harm, undermine or replace ALPA. Their efforts
can only harm the interests of the America West pilots at this critical
time.
The MEC and ALPA remind the America West
pilots that no self-help actions, including the types advocated by the
Act Now group, are permissible or advisable unless and until the parties
are released by the National Mediation Board and get to the expiration
of the 30-day cooling off period. Until such time, the America West pilots
are to maintain the status quo. Please continue to operate in the same
professional and safe manner that you always have.
MEC Office Closing
The MEC office will be closed Monday, February
17 for Presidents’ Day. The office will re-open at 9 a.m. Tuesday, February
18.
That’s all for tonight; the next regular
hotline update is scheduled for Thursday, February 20. Thanks for listening.
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