FFD Meeting Preps New Pilot Leaders for BOD

By John Perkinson, Senior Staff Writer
Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA’s president, welcomes attendees to the meeting, which took place a day prior to the Board of Directors.

ALPA’s Fee-for-Departure (FFD) Committee hosted an FFD group meeting on October 16 in Las Vegas, Nev., the day before the Association’s Board of Directors (BOD) convened. With large numbers of FFD pilots continuing to transition to carriers with larger aircraft, and the consequent turnover in ALPA’s FFD pilot leader ranks, the committee gathered, in part, to provide FFD master executive council (MEC) officers—particularly those new to their posts—an opportunity to learn more about their responsibilities as members of the union’s highest governing body. The event also offered these leaders the chance to network and compare notes with their Association peers, including those at ALPA’s mainline, cargo, and low-cost carriers.

“As I said in my recent letter to you all, this has been a truly remarkable time to fly for an FFD airline,” said Capt. Adam Spurrier (Endeavor Air), the FFD Committee chair, who moderated the event and is the third pilot to serve as the committee’s chair this year. “Despite the setback of the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of three ALPA pilot groups—Compass, ExpressJet, and Trans States—the remaining FFD groups have made tremendous strides in securing contract improvements,” he noted.

The meeting highlighted many of these accomplishments as MEC chairs from both U.S. and Canadian FFD airlines provided briefings on the recent activities and successes of their respective pilot groups, including the significant compensation gains, career-progression terms, and other quality-of-life work rules that many have secured during the last year.

Spurrier touched on some of the hot-button issues impacting FFD flying. “ALPA continues to actively oppose attacks on first officer qualification requirements, most recently at two non-ALPA FFD operations—Republic and SkyWest.” He also talked about the misuse of E3 visas by FFD carriers and ALPA’s advocacy on this important issue. “Keep in mind that once retained, pilots on these visas are ALPA members with the full protection of our duty of fair representation and our full support,” he remarked.

Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA’s president, welcomed attendees, acknowledging, “I know many of you are new to union service while other have been volunteers for years and even decades. Because of your dedication, ALPA is bringing airline-brand pilot groups together in new ways and expanding resources for our pilots,” referencing the establishment of joint standing committees as vehicles to facilitate better coordination, open dialogue, and information sharing.

“We worked to create the environment needed for our fee-for-departure MECs to achieve the contract gains that their pilots have earned,” DePete said. “Because of ALPA pilots’ leadership in pattern bargaining, regional airlines continue to make permanent improvements to pilot pay and work rules.”

To help attendees better understand their duties at this BOD and beyond, Capt. Bill Couette, ALPA’s vice president–administration/secretary and an FFD pilot, gave a presentation titled “Conducting Union Business at the BOD Meeting.” He explained the protocols for the BOD as well as electing ALPA’s national officers and executive vice presidents.

“I would say that three quarters [of our delegates] haven’t been to an in-person BOD meeting,” Couette observed, noting that the 2020 BOD was conducted via videoconference, and stressed the importance of understanding the processes. “It’s important for us to all be together and talk,” he added. Couette also reviewed the union’s strategic planning efforts (see page 30).

Kye Johanning, director of ALPA’s Economic & Financial Analysis Department, addressed the current status of the economy, as well as economic projections for the regional sector of the aviation industry. He pointed out that despite strong travel demand, FFD capacity was slightly down in October and will continue to be down in November as compared to the same two months in 2019. Johanning also remarked that regional carriers will likely continue to struggle with high attrition in their pilot ranks for some time.

Other FFD Committee members in attendance included Capt. Justin Cunningham (Piedmont), the vice chair, who earlier in the day moderated ALPA’s presidential debate in preparation for the BOD’s elections, and Capt. John Fremont (Air Wisconsin), his pilot group’s MEC chair. The committee is currently recruiting a representative from a Canadian FFD pilot group. Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA’s president, welcomed attendees, acknowledging, “I know many of you are new to union service while other have been volunteers for years and even decades. Because of your dedication, ALPA is bringing the airline-brand pilot groups together in new ways and expanding resources for our pilots,” referencing the establishment of joint standing committees as vehicles to facilitate better coordination, open dialogue, and information sharing.

“We worked to create the environment needed for our fee-for-departure MECs to achieve the contract gains that their pilots have earned,” DePete said. “Because of ALPA pilots’ leadership in pattern bargaining, regional airlines continue to make permanent improvements to pilot pay and work rules.”

To help attendees better understand their duties at this BOD and beyond, Capt. Bill Couette, ALPA’s vice president–administration/secretary and an FFD pilot, gave a presentation titled “Conducting Union Business at the BOD Meeting.” He explained the protocols for the BOD as well as electing ALPA’s national officers and executive vice presidents.

“I would say that three quarters [of our delegates] haven’t been to an in-person BOD meeting,” Couette observed, noting that the 2020 BOD was conducted via videoconference, and stressed the importance of understanding the processes. “It’s important for us to all be together and talk,” he added. Couette also reviewed the union’s strategic planning efforts.

Kye Johanning, director of ALPA’s Economic & Financial Analysis Department, addressed the current status of the economy, as well as economic projections for the regional sector of the aviation industry. He pointed out that despite strong travel demand, FFD capacity was slightly down in October and would continue to be down in November as compared to the same two months in 2019. Johanning also remarked that regional carriers would likely continue to struggle with high attrition in their pilot ranks for some time.

Other FFD Committee members in attendance included Capt. Justin Cunningham (Piedmont), the vice chair, who earlier in the day moderated ALPA’s presidential debate in preparation for the BOD’s elections, and Capt. John Fremont (Air Wisconsin), his pilot group’s MEC chair. The committee is currently recruiting a representative from a Canadian FFD pilot group.

This article was originally published in the December 2022 issue of Air Line Pilot.

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