APA News Digest

April 12, 2024

Editor’s note: Some links in this message will work best if you log in to AlliedPilots.org before clicking them.

In This Edition ...

Board Members to Host Town Halls During Spring Meeting

The APA Board of Directors will convene at union headquarters in Fort Worth for its regularly scheduled spring meeting from April 15 to April 19. (Click here for more details.) The Board is comprised of 20 Domicile Officers, many of whom will participate in a pair of town hall meetings next week.

  • The ORD, PHL, and PHX Domicile Officers will host a joint town hall at 1715 Central on April 15.
  • The BOS, CLT, DFW, and LGA Domicile Officers will host a joint town hall at 1800 Central on April 16.

A few minutes before each town hall begins, all members in good standing from the participating bases should receive a call from Telephone Town Hall Meeting, the vendor that hosts many of APA’s town hall meetings. The number that will appear in your caller ID is 817-302-2171. We recommend adding this number to your contacts if you have not already done so.

If you miss the outbound call, you will still be able to participate in the town hall by clicking a link on your domicile’s page on AlliedPilots.org.

APA Resources Highlighted at Sun ’n Fun

This is a new message from the APA Family Awareness Committee.

CA Ben Lyndaker of the Critical Incident Response Program Subcommittee represented APA at Sun ’n Fun, as did Benefits Department staffers Ashley Kurtz and Joanne Goldfarb.

This week, we have been hosting APA pilots and their families at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo, the biggest and best airshow in the southeastern United States. The event continues through Sunday, and you still have time to join us for dinner between 1700 and 1900 on Saturday in our air-conditioned flightline chalet with private restrooms.

Our presence at Sun ’n Fun is about more than food and fellowship. APA President CA Ed Sicher and APA Vice President CA Chris Torres joined us to hear directly from members in good standing, as did several volunteers from a variety of national committees. Two employees from the APA Benefits Department – Joanne Goldfarb and Ashley Kurtz – are also on hand to answer questions about the supplemental benefit programs offered to members and their families, such as Pilot Mutual Aid and Pilot Occupational Disability.

Additionally, APA employs a team of Medical Advisors who provide pilots with accurate and detailed information regarding the FAA medical clearance and American Airlines sick leave processes. This information is typically conveyed over the phone, but three of these registered nurses – Marsha Reekie, Tina Smith, and Cassie Bien – are at Sun ’n Fun to meet with pilots face-to-face.

APA Family Awareness Committee Chair CA Jerry Gemma and Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan

Up next on the Family Awareness calendar: a St. Louis Cardinals game on May 5 for STL commuters. Similar events are in the works for ATL and BNA.

Thanks for the Conversations

This is a new message from the National Communications Network.

LGA Domicile Vice Chair CA Jim Scanlan, FO Jimmy Deragisch, and FO Howard Kwon talked to pilots at LGA on Wednesday.

National Communications Network volunteers and Domicile Officers engaged with more than 150 pilots this week during Concourse Conversations held at DCA, DFW, LGA, and PHL. We appreciate all of the pilots who took the time to share their views on our union, airline, and industry.

The next Concourse Conversations are scheduled for April 26 at LAX and PHX and May 3 at ORD. We look forward to talking with you then.

DCA Domicile Chair-elect CA Chris Wachter and FO John Fisher talked to pilots at DCA on Tuesday.

FAA Investigates Whistleblower’s Claims About 787

The FAA is investigating claims made by a Boeing engineer who says that sections of the fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner are improperly fastened together and could break apart mid-flight after thousands of trips.

The engineer, Sam Salehpour, detailed his allegations in interviews with The New York Times and in documents sent to the FAA. Mr. Salehpour, who has worked at Boeing for more than a decade, said the problems stemmed from changes in how the enormous sections were fitted and fastened together in the assembly line. The plane’s fuselage comes in several pieces, all from different manufacturers, and they are not exactly the same shape where they fit together, he said.

Mr. Salehpour and his lawyers spoke in a virtual news conference Tuesday. The Seattle Times quoted him as saying, “I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align.”

APA spokesman CA Dennis Tajer appeared on CNBC to discuss these reports: “Airplanes are not like Ikea furniture. You can’t just press them to fit and then jam in a securing bolt.”

Senate Panel to Probe Boeing Next Week

A Senate subcommittee will hold an April 17 hearing into Boeing’s safety culture, Politico reported, as the aerospace giant grapples with new allegations that another one of its premier aircraft may not be safe to fly.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is spearheading next week’s hearing of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, dubbed, “Examining Boeing’s Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts.” A witness list was not immediately made public, but Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour said he has been providing information to Blumenthal.

Sen. Blumenthal, alongside Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), requested information from both the FAA and Boeing last month after receiving information from Mr. Salehpour. The subcommittee said it has also asked Boeing CEO David Calhoun for materials ahead of the hearing and requested that he testify.

CEO’s Pay Package Grows to $31.4 Million

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom brought in a total of $31.4 million last year, according to a regulatory filing released Thursday and highlighted by The Dallas Morning News.

Mr. Isom’s pay package for 2023 was made up of three components: a $16.5 million direct salary, a one-time $11 million bonus that was reported in September, and a one-time $3.9 million annual bonus that was paid in 2023 but earned in 2022.

Previous CEO Doug Parker made $7.24 million in his final full year as CEO in 2021 and $10.6 million in 2022.

Don’t Forget to Pay for Incidentals and Your Guests

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

This is a reminder to please remember to pay all incidentals you have charged to your room before you depart the hotel.

Every month, the AA Hotel Contracts team spends hours chasing down crew members through their base Flight Offices to have them pay their incidentals. A good practice is to never charge to your room unless you already have a card on file and make sure you have no unpaid charges at checkout. Additionally, you can request a zeroed-out bill before you depart.

If you are staying at a hotel that offers complimentary meals or services for crew members, please do not assume that these privileges extend to your guest if you are having someone join you on the layover. Check with the front desk to see whether guests must be registered with the hotel and are included in any complimentary meals or services.

A hotel that offers crews a very nice complimentary breakfast has indicated they are considering a policy change because crews are not paying for their guests. Please don’t abuse this privilege and cause us to lose our complimentary breakfast!

For more information, check out the recently updated QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document. This resource answers 99 percent of all hotel, transportation, and layover questions while providing helpful solutions. Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

APA Contract Minute – Reimbursements

This is a new message from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

CA Jason Saxer is back with another edition of the APA Contract Minute. This time around, CA Saxer highlights the enhanced provision covering meal reimbursements and the new contract language regarding reimbursements associated with obtaining your first-class medical.

Register for Contract Training at ORD

This is a new message from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

The Contract Compliance Committee wants to do everything we can to ensure that all APA members are well acquainted with the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Join us on May 2 in ORD for a full day of training on the new CBA. This training will be conducted in hybrid fashion, with members welcome to participate in person at the Doubletree Hotel in Rosemont from 0900 to 1630 or virtually via Zoom. Additionally, in-person IMAX training is scheduled for May 1 from 0900 to 1200 at the Doubletree. If you plan to attend either session, RSVP so we have an accurate headcount for the food orders. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Please take a few moments before the training to familiarize yourself with the Electronic Document Index. You must be logged in to AlliedPilots.org for the links to be accessible. This Index connects you to a vast array of APA documents that we will reference. It is equally useful in the daily operation as a line pilot, so we recommend you retain the Index for future reference. During the training, it may be helpful to have two screens; one to run Zoom and one to reference these documents.

Help us help you! The Contract Compliance Committee’s goal is for you – the membership – to be informed, educated, and knowledgeable. Every single pilot should strive to be a contract expert or, at the very least, strive for continued learning and engagement. Knowledge is power, and it will assist you in employing and being a watchdog of your negotiated work rules.

APFA to Conduct Systemwide Picketing on May 9

This is a new message from the APA Strike and Tactical Operations Planning Committee.

This week, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants announced it will conduct systemwide picketing on May 9. We encourage you to show your solidarity with our flight attendants in their efforts to secure a suitable contract by joining them on the picket line. As we receive additional information about the picketing, we will pass it along.

Pigs of the Week

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 March 1, B-737 aircraft 3LU has been written up nine times and has been out of service five times for an intermittent fire warning bell/light. It most recently returned to service on April 11.
  • In the last two weeks, B-737 aircraft 3JY has been written up 10 times and been out of service five times for a master caution light illuminating with no other associated system malfunction. It most recently returned to service April 12 and is restricted to Class 1 and 2 maintenance stations.
  • Since March 4, A321 aircraft 189’s left engine fire loop “B” has been written up 13 times and has been out of service six times. At the time of this writing, it remained out of service.

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 casual dinner on April 9: Brandon Barban, Antonios Batson, James Beard, Aaron Bronson, Brandon Cespedes, Charles Cox III, James DeVore, Alexandru Firescu, Joshua Hall, Matthew Haskins, Timothy Hurley Jr., Matthew Johnston, Jonathan Kalina, Donald Lewis, John Mannone Jr., Daniel Mercado-Delgado, Yuri Miller, Vince Moore, Rupert Nuttall-Smith, Stephen Pike, John Pilong, Henry Pintz, Jesse Politis, Kyle Rassmann, Eldad Reich, Philip Riera, Andrew Riley, Justin Schultz, Kenneth Shepherd Jr., Adam Shramek, Justin Snow, Jacob Strope, Colin Swanson, Gregory Szajer, Adam Tallarita, Cyle Toney, Christopher Verrill, Maneesha Weerakkody, and Michael Wright.

APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On April 10, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for American Airlines’ Professionalism, Leadership, and Mentoring class: Thad Amundson, Kent Boettcher, Oscar Carrillo Jr., Alex Evans, Andrew Fayen, Henry Foltz, David Johnson, Jason Keen, Christopher Krick, Melissa McDonald, Diego McKnight, Marc Monbouquette, Cory Naddy, Ryan Parker, Peter Penn, Matthew Ramirez, Teo Salatino, Mark Williams, and Binto Zacharias.

Viral Eclipse Photo Includes AA Plane

Click the image for a closer look.

Kendall Rust, an amateur photographer from Memphis, took this stunning photo of Monday’s solar eclipse while in Jonesboro, Ark. The photo went viral on social media, and NBC News talked to Ms. Rust about her experience.

According to Flightradar24, the aircraft in the photo is American Airlines Flight 2246 between DFW and JFK. The NS says the pilots on that flight were CA Mike Siegel and FO Josh Piper.

Domicile Events

Visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

  • DCA: Retirement Party on June 29
  • DFW: Pilots For Kids Golf Tournament on May 20; Texas Rangers game on Aug. 6
  • LAX: Family Awareness event at Camas Airport on April 23; Family Awareness event at Boeing Museum of Flight on April 24; Family Awareness event at Rowland Freedom Center on April 25; Retirement Party on April 27; Family Awareness lunch in Thousand Oaks on May 8; Family Awareness lunch at MYF on May 14
  • LGA: Refinery Rooftop Social on May 18; New York Mets game on Sept. 2
  • MIA: Air Dot Show at FLL on May 11 and 12
  • ORD: Domicile Meeting on May 1; IMAX Training on May 1; Contract Compliance Training on May 2; Galt Airport Fly-In and Pancake Breakfast on May 25
  • PHL: Philadelphia Phillies game on June 18

Week in Review

Here are several recent messages you may have missed.

Are You Willing to Serve?

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

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (2)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
    • Project Wingman Subcommittee (3)
  • Appeal Board (1)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (7)
  • Flight Time/Duty Time Committee (1)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Scheduling Committee (5)
  • Training Committee (5)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the Member Engagement Portal.

Professional Standards FAQs

Can management continue with a traditional process after releasing a case to Professional Standards?
No. Once an issue has been released to Professional Standards, management will not pursue action against an employee for actions contained in the referral.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

Supporting Our Nation’s Veterans

100 Vets Who Give a Damn supports veterans by donating to numerous organizations. The group’s next meeting is Thursday, April 18, beginning at 1800 Central at the C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth.

If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles

Are you a pilot for American Airlines, at least age 50, active or retired? Please join The Grey Eagles for food, fun, and fellowship. We offer cruises, conventions, monthly luncheons, retirement dinners, professional mentoring, and assistance to surviving spouses – all for a one-time lifetime fee.

Pilot Job Fairs and Future Pilot Seminars

Future & Active Pilot Advisors’ next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for April 26 at ATL followed by May 18 at HNL. Click here for more information.

Industry News

For more about what’s happening in the industry, be sure to visit the Industry News page on AlliedPilots.org.

Connect with Us: Facebook | Instagram| Twitter| TikTok| YouTube
Contact Us: Phone - 817.302.2272 | Website - AlliedPilots.org