Everything Matters for the 111th ALPA Executive Board Following a
brief
memorial service for the 11th anniversary of 9/11, ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak
dropped the gavel to open the 111th regular meeting of the Association’s
Executive Board. For the first time, the meeting took place in ALPA’s new,
state-of-the-art conference center in its Herndon, Va., office. The union’s four
national officers opened the morning plenary with their individual reports,
speaking about recent activities and accomplishments, and explaining how
Everything Matters—the Association’s theme for this year.
Moak spoke at length about events happening around the globe, which are
reshaping the airline industry, including the inroads Emirates Airline is making
into Australia and Canada, and the Japanese government’s bailout of JAL. “The
environment has changed; our strategy has to adapt,” said Moak, emphasizing that
government policy is preventing U.S. airlines from fully competing with their
international counterparts.
Moak told Executive Board members, “The union is only what you make it, so
make it yours, make it strong, and make it matter.”
ALPA first vice president Capt. Sean Cassidy talked about
the achievements and emerging challenges confronting the safety, security, and
pilot assistance efforts of ALPA’s Air Safety Organization.
As the Association’s national safety coordinator, he said, “We will continue
to be adaptive and evolve, we will continue to listen to you, and we are always
mindful of the fact that in order to succeed, it’s not enough for us to see
what’s on the horizon. We have to anticipate what’s beyond the horizon.”
The upcoming Board of Directors meeting, the Professional Development Group,
and the ALPA Emergency Relief Fund, were high on vice
president–administration/secretary Capt. Bill Couette’s presentation agenda. He
talked about these ALPA assets and how they are evolving to better meet member
needs.
Couette commented, “Right now there’s stress and uncertainty in our industry.
. . . It’s times like these that strengthen our determination and encourage us
to stand together. These are the qualities that make us not only the largest
pilot union in the world, but the strongest.”
“A brief look at our membership tells the story: seven ALPA carriers involved
in mergers, four in bankruptcy, and two airlines that have shut down or will
shut down later this month,” said Capt. Randy Helling, ALPA vice
president–finance/treasurer. He continued, “Just as our industry has shown great
flexibility in adapting to this dynamic environment, so too, has our union shown
tremendous resiliency in overcoming these hurdles,” he added.
Helling reviewed the ALPA balance sheet, adding, “Our Association is in a
much better position financially to face these challenges, to provide vital
resources and continued support to our members, and to add value to being a
member of the world’s largest pilots union.”
The members of the Executive Board then divided into four committees to
review proposed resolutions and discuss issues that will be addressed during the
strategic planning phase of the upcoming Board of Directors meeting.
During the afternoon plenary, Eddie Mayenschein, acting deputy director of
aviation for the Transportation Security Administration and a former ALPA
member, provided a presentation titled, “The Terrorist Threat.” Mayenschein
commented, “I have a lot of sleepless nights.”
In addition, the ALPA MEC chairmen provided an overview of the accomplishments of
and challenges confronting their pilot groups.
Look for more coverage in the October issue of Air Line Pilot. |