Council Summit Brings Cleveland-Based Pilots Together

December 11, 2009 - Approximately 75 pilots, family members, and ALPA leaders from the Cleveland ALPA councils of the Continental system gathered at a restaurant in suburban Cleveland last weekend for a first-ever “Council Summit” for the carriers.

ALPA president and CAL Capt. John Prater and Fee-for-Departure Task Force chair Capt. Tom Wychor (MSA) joined pilots from Continental Council 172, ExpressJet Council 176, and CommutAir Council 152 for an event that was part family gathering and part local council meeting, mixed with a healthy dose of union team-building.

“I don’t think this has ever been done before, but it’s really great,” Prater told the group. “We’re not wearing any wings or epaulettes today because it doesn’t matter what airline you fly for—you can fly anything with wings on it.”

Prater, who started his commercial career flying for a mail carrier in Cleveland in 1973, briefed the group on ALPA’s efforts to translate this year’s very public focus on airline pilots into concrete gains for the profession, while fighting such bad ideas as cockpit video cameras and random reviews of cockpit voice recordings.

After hearing from their local and national leadership, family members enjoyed pizza and bowling while each council took turns holding its business meetings in a separate room. At those meetings, Prater and Wychor received updates from the council officers on issues at the respective carriers.

Capt. Chris Belcastro, chairman of XJT Council 176, organized the Council Summit at Prater’s request. He said the gathering could become an annual event.

“By having all these groups here, you get to mingle and talk informally with the guys you see across the hall in uniform at work. And by being here, our three councils can start building relationships so we can work together when management wants to play us against each other,” Belcastro said.