Our Union: Security in Reserve

By Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA President

In the airline industry, security commands center stage in every sense of the word. Security surrounds us in both mechanism and mindset. Its importance is held in no greater regard than on September 11; however, we value it every time we fly the line.

The 9/11 remembrance pin that each ALPA member has the opportunity to wear reminds us of all those we lost 15 years ago on that tragic September day. It also represents our union’s tremendous leadership in making aviation more secure in the years since. The legacy of the pilots who flew the aircraft—and of all those who were harmed by the tragedy─lives on in and through ALPA members.

In one sense, pilots take security in knowing that the aircraft, airports, and airspace that we count on in our jobs meet and surpass the highest standards of safety. This is what ALPA’s Air Safety Forum is all about. For more than 60 years, the event has set the bar for highlighting the leading aviation issues of the day and forging collaborative solutions.

At this year’s event, our union brought together stakeholders from around the globe to take on an incredible range of today’s important aviation topics. The agenda included safeguarding aircraft against dangerous good threats, enhancing the safety of runways and airports, strengthening upset recovery training for pilots, and developing strict regulations for the command and control of unmanned aircraft. The awards and presidential citations conferred at the forum in the disciplines of aviation safety, security, pilot assistance, and jumpseat are true testament to ALPA’s scope and excellence.

The concept of feeling secure also plays a role in the effectiveness of voluntary safety reporting programs, such as the Aviation Safety Action Program, that are key to our industry’s predicting safety issues before incidents or accidents occur. The success of these programs hinges on a sense of security that the data provided will be used solely for the intended purpose—advancing safety. Thanks to ALPA leaders such as F/O John Klinger (Delta), who received ALPA’s Air Safety Award at this year’s forum, our industry has seen groundbreaking agreements and collaboration to help realize these programs’ full potential.

In contrast, all-cargo flight operations serve as an example of dangerously inadequate security. Much more work needs to be done. Unlike passenger airplanes, too many all-cargo flights are loaded outside the secure area of the airport, allowing unscreened individuals access to the aircraft. Too many pilots who fly cargo don’t have the security of a cockpit door. Of equal concern is that many all-cargo flights carry supernumeraries such as animal handlers who are not properly vetted. Our industry has a long way to go to secure all-cargo operations, and ALPA is fighting every day for one level of security.

On the same theme, a fair collective bargaining agreement is the cornerstone of a secure piloting career. ALPA continues to marshal its resources to support our pilot groups in their determined work to bargain fair contracts that reflect their pilots’ contribution to their airline—particularly in times of record profits. From Honolulu to Houston, Atlanta to Denver, and Thunder Bay to Vancouver, ALPA master executive council leaders are on the informational picketing lines and at the bargaining table to secure and enforce fair agreements for their members, with the full support of their union.

The security of a long-term collective bargaining agreement is also what is needed to attract new pilots to the airline piloting profession. Recent one-off signing bonuses offered by some low-paying fee-for-departure airlines in an attempt to lure new pilots won’t delude qualified individuals about the fact that contracts at many regional airlines don’t provide the pay, health-care benefits, quality of life, and job growth that their current and new pilots require.

Henry Ford is quoted saying that real security can only be found in “a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.” As ALPA members, each of us has secured just such a reserve.

This article was originally published in the September 2016 issue of Air Line Pilot.

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