April 1, 2020

ALPA pilots,

Thanks to an incredible, all-in advocacy effort by each of you, the U.S. Congress passed and the President signed into law a $61 billion economic stabilization package for the U.S. airline industry that contains strong labor protections for workers. Together, ALPA pilots and others sent more than 167,000 letters and tweets to the Hill, backed by high-impact ads and an enormous social media push, to make clear that airline pilots expect workers to share in any government relief provided to our airlines. ALPA has been successful in navigating this process on behalf of pilots—now it’s time for the airlines to do the same.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act, provides $33 billion in direct grants to the aviation industry and authorizes the U.S. Treasury Department to provide loans and guarantees for passenger airlines, cargo carriers, and airports. The result will preserve aviation jobs and keep workers and our families financially secure now and in the near future.

All U.S. airlines that do seek federal aid must meet certain pro-worker, pilot-partisan conditions. We have an explainer that provides the details, but here are just a few examples of the pilot-partisan conditions that your advocacy made possible:

• By law, grants can only be used to continue paying wages, salaries, and benefits to workers, based on the amounts paid from April 1, 2019, through September 30, 2019.
• Airlines that receive grant funding cannot conduct involuntary furloughs or reduce pay rates and benefits until September 30, 2020.
• Under the CARES Act, stock buybacks are prohibited for the term of the government assistance plus one year for any company receiving government assistance, and executive compensation is limited.

It’s important to note that, unlike the post-9/11 era, when airlines were required to seek labor concessions as a condition for receiving federal aid, Congress has prohibited the government from conditioning grants or loans on renegotiating airline workers’ collective bargaining agreements.

While the CARES Act makes federal economic assistance accessible to all U.S. airlines—mainline, fee-for-departure, and cargo—individual airline managements make the decision to apply for federal aid based on guidance provided by the U.S. Treasury Department. Please contact your MEC or LEC if you have questions about your company.

The passage of the CARES Act resulted from a strong, bipartisan effort in both the U.S. House and Senate. ALPA acknowledges the tremendous leadership on behalf of workers by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, and Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell. If you haven’t already, I urge you to express your thanks to our elected representatives for standing up for labor.

Because of your commitment, the CARES Act is already providing near-term relief for U.S. workers, as several airlines have stated they will delay furloughs. Our union is fighting hard, and our MECs are working at every level to preserve jobs. Unfortunately, we already have ALPA members whose airlines have announced they will shut down as early as this week and pilots who have already experienced furloughs. I know the effects of furloughs are profound, and ALPA is providing support through our Pilot Peer Support program and information through our Furloughed Pilots Resources for those currently affected and all of us as we plan for the unknown in the future.

The Canadian government has also announced economic relief—a partial wage subsidy—for all Canadian workers, including pilots, and ALPA Canada is fully engaged with the prime minister’s office and federal ministries to advance our priorities for further measures aimed specifically at stabilizing the airline industry and protecting aviation workers’ wages. ALPA pilots in Canada have already joined our two Calls to Action, sending more than 1,200 letters and 1,400 tweets to Members of Parliament. Please join them today if you haven’t yet urged your elected representatives to protect frontline aviation workers and ensure that labour is included in the airline economic relief.

In this COVID-19 reality, our highest priority is helping you protect your health. Under the leadership of Capt. Bob Fox, ALPA’s first vice president and national safety coordinator, we’re updating our Coronavirus Information for Flight Crews webpage as a one-stop clearinghouse of resources from across ALPA’s Air Safety Organization (ASO).

If you do not feel safe regarding a flight operation in the context of this outbreak, you're entitled to make that judgment as the pilot-in-command and, more basically, as a pilot. As the pilot-in-command, we're responsible for determining when it's safe to fly—and when it's not safe to fly. Now and always, ALPA will defend any member who chooses, in good faith, to exercise pilot-in-command authority or to decline to operate a flight out of legitimate safety concerns, including immediate health concerns for you and your crews.

In addition, ASO pilots and staff are pressing for clear guidance and policy action from the regulators, especially when it comes to protecting pilots’ health. We’ve worked with the FAA to address medical certificate issues for both international and domestic operations and sent a letter calling for the FAA to ensure the airlines comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines with respect to cleaning cockpits between flights, use of approved and effective disinfectants, and notifying other employees following a positive COVID-19 test. The ASO is regularly issuing safety, security, and pilot assistance updates, so I urge you to check the Coronavirus Information for Flight Crews website frequently and also download the ALPA app.

As I told a CNBC reporter in a recent interview, every worker is hurting right now. The difference for ALPA members is that we stand together. We’re here for each other, as well as for our industry colleagues, passengers, and shippers. At this time and always, airline pilots are taking the lead as we all work toward a stronger future—and making sure that the voice of workers is heard loud and clear.

In unity,

Capt. Joe DePete
ALPA President