Stronger in 2014: Executive Board Explores Lower Dues Rate, Welcomes JetBlue

ALPA’s Executive Board met this week, advancing proposed policies to the Board of Directors, slated to meet this October, which would further strengthen the union. “Financially, we’re leaner and we’re stronger,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA president. “ALPA’s safety and security priorities make us stronger. The addition of JetBlue pilots to our membership makes our collective voice stronger. As a stronger union, you know that we have many challenges. We must use our resources more effectively to bring about greater membership support by best practices in every area.”

Board members discussed lowering ALPA members’ dues rate again in 2015, to 1.85 percent; the FAA’s recent interpretations of FAR Part 117; and mainline hiring to further unify ALPA’s fee-for-departure carriers. The Executive Board also welcomed JetBlue pilots to their first ALPA governing bodies meeting, and examined executive vice president election procedures as they relate to the Group B alignment.

“We must use our strength and be unyielding in opposing the current unlevel playing field for our carriers,” said Moak, during his report to the Executive Board. The ALPA president spoke about challenges among fee-for-departure pilot groups and Canadian members, and stressed the work that will need to be accomplished at this year’s Board of Directors meeting. “Looking forward means we must also talk about our fellow pilots represented by independent unions,” Moak said. “Bringing the profession together into the Air Line Pilots Association is a worthwhile goal that deserves our serious attention.”

That’s why Capt. Moak proposed the resolution to lower the dues rate again, which states: “a further dues reduction would demonstrate that the Board of Directors is a careful steward of our resources and should strengthen membership support for ALPA, and would also demonstrate to our members and pilot groups represented by independent unions that joining with ALPA should lead to more effective representation for all pilots and further reductions in dues rates.”

The 114th regular meeting of the ALPA Executive Board began yesterday with a special welcome for the newly elected temporary JetBlue MEC officers—chairman Capt. Jim Bigham, vice chairman Capt. Gustavo Rivera, and secretary-treasurer First Officer Wes Clapper—who joined ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak at the podium. The three were greeted with thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

“It was a very big day for the Air Line Pilots Association,” said Moak, acknowledging April 22 when the National Mediation Board announced the JetBlue pilots’ overwhelming support for ALPA representation. “We were able to harness the strength of more than 2,600 pilots to fortify our collective voice.”

ALPA’s four national officers provided reports to the attending MEC chairmen, beginning with vice president–administration/secretary Capt. Bill Couette, who compared the Association to a family. He noted, “When our members are faced with challenges, we stand up for each other.” In his report, Couette talked about IT developments included a new ALPA web password reset feature that will go online in July and plans for updating the entire website.

“I’m happy to announce that we are proposing to lower the dues rate again in 2015,” said Capt. Randy Helling, vice president-finance/treasurer. Helling discussed effective efforts to contain Association expenses and a proposal to reduce the dues rate to 1.85 percent. He thanked the Executive Board for its “relentless focus on the efficient use of your pilots’ hard-earned dues dollars.”

To assess whether a further dues reduction could be adopted without an adverse effect on services, the Executive Board has directed the Executive Council to construct a 2015 budget based on a 1.85 percent dues rate to determine if it’s feasible and report back to the Executive Board in September.

In his report, first vice president Capt. Sean Cassidy highlighted the Association’s Air Safety Organization, adding that “we are among the most credible voices in the world when it comes to commercial aviation.” Cassidy reviewed the Association’s work with the Part 117 flight- and duty-time rule change, the recent first officer qualification update, and the aeromedical support the union provides.

During the course of the two-day meeting, Executive Board members heard presentations from managing director of ALPA’s Representation and Analysis group Dave Krieger and Representation Director Betty Ginsburg on the good, the bad, and the ugly from the collective bargaining perspective; and Zack Mooneyham, ALPA’s Political Representative, delivered an update on PAC performance. A guest speaker, Matt Desch, the CEO of Iridium LLC, provided a report on work being done to establish a global surveillance capability aimed at significantly enhancing safety and efficiency of airline travel around the world.