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News from ALPA International

June 5, 2012

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In This Issue:

UCH Requests NMB Reject Request for Release, ALPA Responds
On Monday, May 28, Douglas McKeen, senior vice president of Labor Relations for United Continental Holdings (UCH), sent a letter to Linda Puchala, chairman of the National Mediation Board (NMB), objecting to ALPA’s request for an agreed June 15 deadline and a release from mediation in the current negotiations for a joint collective bargaining agreement covering all United pilots. McKeen took the position that NMB mediation “will continue to be productive” and that the parties should be prepared to continue mediation until the American and US Airways negotiations are resolved.

United’s position to the NMB contradicted its own CEO’s recent letter to the United pilots, arguing that now is the time to “get it done.” But ALPA believes that, in the absence of a definitive backstop, negotiations will continue to drift as they have for the past two years.

Read the McKeen letter in its entirety.

ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak promptly responded to the McKeen letter. In his letter to the NMB, delivered May 30, Moak made clear that negotiations have dragged on too long, and there needs to be “a negotiated outcome by mid-June.” He added that the days of “bankruptcy-era agreements” at United/Continental “need to be over, now.”

Read Moak’s letter.

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What’s Most Important to You? Let Us Know. Take the Poll.
If you haven’t participated in the All-Member ALPA Survey, please log on and tell us what you think. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Remember that your feedback will help us improve the communications, resources, and services we provide to each and every member, so please participate today. Let us know what you think.

Please note that if you have already participated in the phone poll, you will not be eligible for the online survey.

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Pilots Support Bipartisan Effort to Advance One Level of Safety
Bill to Bring All Airline Pilots Under Pilot Fatigue Regulations Introduced in Senate
A bipartisan pair of senators today introduced the Safe Skies Act of 2012 (S. 3263) in the U.S. Senate, advancing efforts to ensure one level of safety for passenger and cargo airlines and enhance air transportation safety.

“The Air Line Pilots Association applauds Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) for their commitment to aviation safety and leadership in moving this important legislation forward,” said Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l. If enacted, the bill would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to apply the Federal Aviation Administration’s flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements to all-cargo airline operations in the same way that the regulations currently apply to passenger operations.

The Safe Skies Act was introduced with bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives in April, and ALPA is working with lawmakers to urge Congress to take up and pass the bill in both Houses of Congress as swiftly as possible. “ALPA staunchly supports this science-based, common-sense bill, which would afford all airline pilots—regardless of whether they fly passengers or cargo—equal protections from fatigue under the new federal pilot flight- and duty-time regulations.” Moak said.

ALPA has long advocated for one level of safety for all types of flight operations, and is fully engaged in efforts to achieve this goal across the U.S. airline industry.

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Support UAL/CAL Pilot Picketing in NYC

Stand with your fellow United and Continental pilots as they conduct informational picketing at the United Continental Holdings (UCH) shareholders meeting in Manhattan on Tuesday, June 12. Join your fellow ALPA members as they protest the lack of a joint collective bargaining agreement after more than two years of negotiations.

Transportation is available from LGA and EWR. An “adopt-a-pilot” program has also been established to offer non-UAL/CAL members accommodations at nearby pilot-family homes and crash pads the night before the event. To request/offer accommodations, go to www.alpa.org/tabid/7032/Default.aspx.

If you would like to participate, please send an e-mail to CAL.SPSC@alpa.org and include your name, airline, the number of pilots in your group who will be attending, whether you/they need transportation, and your e-mail address.

Please respond by noon (CT) on June 7.

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ALPA to Host Pilot Training Conference

Plan to attend “Evolution of Safety Through Pilot Training” on July 12 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. This one-day conference will explore the many facets of developing and maintaining the most critical component of airline safety, a well-trained pilot.

The FAA’s acting administrator and ALPA’s president will lead a distinguished list of aviation leaders from regulators, airlines, academia, and subject-matter experts, who will inform attendees about the latest advances in pilot recruitment and qualifications, training technologies, training programs, and much more.

For more information and to register, visit pilottrainingconference.alpa.org.

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Stay Connected
Stay connected with your union, your profession, and your industry by reading Air Line Pilot magazine and watching monthly episodes of The FlightDeck.

Read about the planned expansion of the Known Crewmember program on page 16 of the May issue of Air Line Pilot magazine.

On the 16th installment of The FlightDeck, learn about the latest efforts to establish One Level of Safety and Security for both passenger and cargo airline pilots.

Remember that both Air Line Pilot and The FlightDeck can also be accessed from the members-only portion of the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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FastFact

On June 5, 1963, President Kennedy announced his administration’s plans to seek funds for the sponsored development of a supersonic transport aircraft.

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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes
Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at communications@alpa.org.

If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices, and once your postal forwarding order expires, you’ll no longer receive the magazine and other ALPA mail. You can do it yourself by going to www.alpa.org and logging in. Go to “My ALPA” in the menu at the top of the page, and from there, you’ll be instructed how to make the necessary changes.

If you don’t have access to the members-only section of www.alpa.org, you can e-mail your requests by sending them to membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us what information needs to be updated.

Please note that it is not sufficient just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon.

Can’t remember your member number or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting membership@alpa.org.

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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW | Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270