APA News Digest

June 24, 2022

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In This Edition ...

Time to Lead

APA President CA Eric Ferguson sent the following message to all members today.

The United Airlines ALPA Master Executive Council announced today that it has approved a tentative agreement with that carrier’s management for a new contract. Membership ratification voting opens on Monday, June 27, and closes on Friday, July 15.

In its announcement, the UAL MEC noted several highlights in the tentative agreement, including three pay increases totaling more than 14.5% during the next 18 months and what the MEC characterizes as “significant improvements to reserve scheduling provisions,” “improved trip construction parameters to combat pilot fatigue,” and “new quality of life improvements to provide increased pilot schedule flexibility.” The UAL MEC also cited “significant improvements to long term disability (LTD) insurance” and a “new tax-advantaged cash balance retirement plan.”

In all, the MEC indicates that the agreement “adds more than $1.3 billion of value for United pilots over the two-year term, while preserving our important scope provisions and job protections.” The APA Negotiating Committee and Economic & Financial Analysis Committee are delving into the details of the tentative agreement and will be providing additional information in the coming days.

Today’s announcement was preceded by the news that American Airlines management will increase compensation for the pilots at the company’s wholly owned regional airlines by 66% during the next two years.

While we’ve all been frustrated with the lack of progress in our Section 6 negotiations, I believe we should be encouraged by these recent developments. We’re seeing professional pilots make significant gains in compensation, benefits, and working conditions, which creates a favorable environment for other pilot groups to do likewise.

We look forward to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom making good on his public commitment that our pilots “are not going to fall behind our network peers.” Better yet, rather than just doing what’s necessary to ensure our pilots don’t fall behind, we encourage him to take that commitment one step further.

Let’s lead our network peers and do what it takes to finally make American Airlines the world-class carrier we all know it can and should be. We want American Airlines to set the operational standard for others to follow. Our pilots, fellow employees, passengers, and investors should expect nothing less.

No more waiting. It’s time to lead.

RSVP Now to Join Us in July

The APA Communications Committee sent the following message to all members on Tuesday.

APA President-elect CA Edward Sicher (above left) and APA Vice President-elect FO Chris Torres (above center) participated in our informational picketing event in New York on June 2, and the two of them joined SWAPA’s picket lines in Dallas on Tuesday (below).

We need you to join us for informational picketing in Chicago on July 26. Participating members will be invited to a Pilot Unity Building event at the Chicago Cubs’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 25.

Every domicile besides ORD will host simultaneous events on July 26.

Every domicile has also scheduled a Family Awareness event or pilot dinner for either July 6 or July 7.

RSVP links for all of these events can be found at AlliedPilots.org/Calendar.

As you consider whether to join us at these events, also consider this: APA’s Economic & Financial Analysis Committee estimates that the raises management has offered at Envoy, Piedmont, and PSA – outside of Section 6 negotiations – add up to a 66% increase in pilot costs at the wholly owned regionals.

Meanwhile, management’s latest offer to us – after years of Section 6 negotiations – adds up to an 8% increase in pilot costs at the mainline.

What are you going to do to show management how you feel about that disparity?

If you are not scheduled to fly on July 6-7 or July 25-26, make plans now to join us.

Support FDX on June 28 and DAL on June 30

With pilots across the industry experiencing many of the same challenges at the bargaining table and out on the line, it’s vital for our unions to support one another.

FedEx ALPA pilots will be picketing at MEM on June 28. Details are available at AlliedPilots.org/Calendar.

Delta ALPA pilots will be picketing at seven airports on June 30: ATL, DTW, JFK, LAX, MSP, SEA, and SLC. The show time for each event is 9 a.m. local, with picketing scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon. RSVP links for each event are available at AlliedPilots.org/Calendar.

With several airlines canceling scores of flights, media outlets are keen to explain the root causes of these cancellations. Many of these outlets have reached out to APA for our perspective, and Communications Committee Chair CA Dennis Tajer was happy to provide it.

  • News Nation: “We hear about the talk of ‘pilot shortage,’ ‘pilot pipeline,’ the training – all of that comes in here. But the core of that is a management team at American Airlines – and at other carriers – that have failed to plan properly.”
  • WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas: “It’s very frustrating. It gets to the point where it’s enraging. Our passengers paid their hard-earned money. We’re out there with them. When they get cancelled, we don’t get home either. They don’t have enough pilots; they haven’t trained enough pilots. They are literally canceling flights because they don’t have their act together.”
  • KDFW, the Fox affiliate in Dallas: “It's been horrible. It’s everything that we warned management would happen this summer because they kept doing what they did last summer.”

Where’s My Transportation?

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

Reports of untimely transportation – or no transportation at all – are on the rise. Like the airlines, hotels and third-party transportation companies have had issues hiring an appropriate number of staff to accommodate their business. Additionally, TA Connections (aka Travelliance) often drops the ball when third-party transportation to a last-minute booking is required, leaving you stranded on the curb. BizHero does NOT set up any transportation for you. Do NOT use BizHero.

Here are your options when transportation is untimely or absent:

  • Contact the AA Hotel/Limo Desk (TA Connections).
  • Continue to wait for the hotel shuttle or third-party provider.
  • Exercise your contractual rights.

Section 7.C of our contract says, “Pilots who are authorized lodging shall be allowed actual expenses incurred for necessary transportation between the airport and the hotel of lodging if the: (1) planned transportation is untimely, or (2) ground transportation is not made available by the Company.”

How long should you wait? You personally get to decide what is “untimely.” There is NOTHING in the contract that specifies a time. Should you find the wait untimely, you are within your contractual rights to secure transportation and receive reimbursement via the SAP Concur app on your AA iPad.

Reference our Hotel Webpages to determine whether a hotel or third-party transportation company has a history of problems.

For more information on transportation, see Section 4 of the QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document, which should answer 99 percent of all hotel and transportation questions while providing helpful solutions.

Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

Do You Back the PAC?

This is a new message from the APA Government Affairs Committee.

Your Government Affairs Committee seeks to both enhance and protect your career by promoting common-sense legislation while also defending against harmful legislation. We influence legislation through direct contact with members of Congress. We are able to have direct contact with members of Congress only because of your contributions to the APA Political Action Committee.

Last month, 3,998 pilots contributed to the APA PAC. That number represented 27.7 percent of APA’s active members in May, which is slightly higher than April’s contribution rate of 27.1 percent. Click the image below for a closer look at each domicile’s PAC contribution rates in March, April, and May.

As you can see, all but three domiciles increased their contribution rates. Our Political Action Committee would be extremely well-funded if every APA member contributed as if his or her career depended on it – because it does.

Click here to back the PAC.

The Summer Solstice, Sunscreens, and Reduced Chemical Exposure

This is a new message from the APA Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee.

Tuesday marked the official start of summer with the summer solstice, noted as the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. With longer days, and the sun reaching angles greater than 70 degrees in the northern hemisphere, we can also expect greater sun exposure and an increased risk of UV radiation. Read more in this week’s Medical Minute.

Preventing Asymmetrical Thrust on Takeoff

The APA Safety Committee sent the following message to all members on Monday.

A recent runway excursion incident, and similar events at other airlines, point to the importance of properly stabilizing the engines just prior to setting takeoff power.

One identified root cause of asymmetrical engine spool-up is using differential thrust to assist with the turn onto the runway. This can later cause one engine to accelerate much faster than the other when takeoff power is applied. This practice has led to both rejected takeoffs and runway excursions.

We recommend everyone take the time to review the AOM for your fleet type regarding takeoff procedures. Allowing the engines to stabilize at the appropriate power setting for your fleet helps with uniform engine acceleration to takeoff thrust and minimizes directional control problems.

Bottom line: Ensure your engines are stabilized before pushing TOGA.

APA Welcomes New Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

The APA Membership Committee welcomed the following pilots during a barbecue dinner on June 21: Kevin Accomazzo, Nike Adamo, Christopher Adams, John Baker, Shane Barber, Justin Boone, Douglas Cousins, Johnny Cummings IV, Eric Darwin, Joel Faber, James Fields, John Fletcher III, Richard Fournier Jr., Joseph Garden, Cristian Guardado, Lindy Hardy, Eghosa Isibor, Dario Jimenez Lopez, Alberto Jimenez Molina, Jaison Joy, David Joyce, Richard Manuel, Dahl Mason, Joseph McIntyre, Patrick McLean, David Miller, Theodore Miller Jr., Sherif Mohamed, Justin Moy, Kyle Nearing, Aaron Olson, Andreas Pisar, Brian Quade, Daniel Sears, Andrew Stagg, Brian Steele, Tyler Sueltenfuss, Armon Tabrizi, Andrew Teague, Luke Thomas, Steven Thornton, Matthew Tompkins, Ozcan Turgut, Rohan Vashi, Eric Weber, Thomas Wolfe, and Luis Zelaya.

APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On June 22, the APA Membership Committee hosted a barbecue dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for American Airlines’ Professionalism, Leadership, and Mentoring class: Joshua Allgood, Andrew Benich, Vincent Bonner, Michael Burk Jr., Joseph Raymond Cross, Brad Davis, Wyatt Decker, John Depaola, Jon Glenna, Terrance Henry, Thomas Hernandez, William Holcombe, Philip Howarth, Charlton Jackson, Scott Johnson, Peter Mason, James Mclaughlin, Chris Miller, Rafael Morales Ramirez, Vincent Orlando III, Craig Price, Jason Prystash, Candace Quinn, Corey Redding, James Ryniak, John Stankiewicz, Steven Tesnow, Alex Turner, Gregory Walwik, and Joseph Williams Jr.

APA commends American Airlines’ hardworking aircraft maintenance technicians for their outstanding work. We believe they are the best in the business. When repetitive problems do arise, they’re often due to managerial decisions that fail to properly prioritize tasks and to management’s decision to outsource a significant portion of the airline’s maintenance to offshore, third-party repair stations.

  • Since May 22, B737 aircraft 3BY’s speed brake handle has been written up five times and has been out of service three times. This was last signed off on June 23.
  • Since June 15, the flight control aileron servo fault on A321 aircraft 970 has been written up five times and has been out of service four times. This was last signed off on June 21.

Domicile Elections

CLT, LGA, and MIA pilots will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to represent each domicile on the APA Board of Directors from Nov. 1, 2022, until Oct. 31, 2024.

The Electronic Submission for Nomination Process opened at 12:01 a.m. Central on June 9, and it will close at 12:01 a.m. Central on June 30. As of 3 p.m. Central today, the following pilots were officially seeking nomination:

  • CLT Chair: CA Doug Hancock
  • CLT Vice Chair: FO Erik DeWinne
  • LGA Chair: FO Larry Cutler, CA Tony Gutierrez, and CA Andy Nordgren
  • LGA Vice Chair: CA Tony Gutierrez, CA Andy Nordgren, and CA Jim Scanlan
  • MIA Chair: CA Thomas Copeland and FO John Dwyer
  • MIA Vice Chair: CA Andy Reitz and CA Anne Witcher

For more information, visit AlliedPilots.org/ElectronicNominations.

Domicile Events

More details about these upcoming events are available at AlliedPilots.org/Calendar:

  • CLT: Family Awareness event at Pins Mechanical Company on July 6
  • DCA: Dinner at the Capitol Hill Club on July 6; Family Awareness event at an Orioles game on July 27
  • DFW: Family Awareness event at Main Event on July 7
  • LAX: Family Awareness event at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on July 6; Flying Vlaseks’ Taco Night on July 16
  • LGA: Family Awareness event at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on July 6; Family Awareness event at a Yankees game on July 29
  • MIA: Family Awareness event at Shipwrecks on June 25
  • ORD: Family Awareness event at Topgolf on July 6
  • PHL: Dinner at P.J. Whelihan’s on July 6
  • PHX: Family Awareness event at Main Event on July 6

That calendar also has details on these upcoming Grey Eagles luncheons:

  • DFW: June 29
  • LGA: July 7
  • PBI: July 13
  • RDU: July 20

Are You Willing to Serve?

Each of these national committees or subcommittees has the indicated number of vacancies:

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Bereavement Subcommittee (1)
    • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (3)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
    • Project Wingman Subcommittee (4)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (8)
  • Economic and Financial Analysis Committee (1)
  • Family Awareness Committee (1)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • IT Steering Committee (1)
  • Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee (1)
  • Safety Committee (7)
  • Scheduling Committee (7)
  • Scope Committee (1)
  • Training Committee (4)
  • TUL/Tech Liaison Committee (1)

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the National Committee Volunteer Portal.

Life Insurance Annual Dividend to be Distributed

This is a new message from the APA Benefits Department.

Per R2022-22 and R2022-23, eligible participants in APA’s Group Term Life Insurance Plan will receive their annual dividend distribution on or about July 6 in the checking or savings account on file with NGS.

Professional Standards FAQs

Is Professional Standards a step in the traditional discipline process (Section 21)?
No. The Professional Standards program is an APA volunteer committee that does not involve discipline. A call to domicile Professional Standards volunteers should be considered as the first step: First call? Union first! Resolved issues submitted to the Professional Standards Committee cannot be used by management to support other disciplinary actions at any time in the future. The objective is to facilitate a change at the lowest possible level to prevent the need for a traditional discipline approach.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

Professional Standards’ 24/7 hotline: 817-402-2181