Advantages
The
of an International Union
Mission
Statement
The mission of the Air Line Pilots Association, International is to
promote and champion all aspects of aviation safety throughout all
segments of the aviation community; to represent, in both specific
and general respects, the collective interests of all pilots in commercial
aviation; to assist in collective bargaining activities on behalf of all
pilots represented by the Association; to promote the health and welfare
of the members of the Association before all governmental agencies; to
be a strong, forceful advocate of the airline piloting profession, through
all forms of media, and with the public at large; and to be the ultimate
guardian and defender of the rights and privileges of the professional
pilots who are members of the Association.
—ALPA Board of Directors
2
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Letter from ALPA’s
President
I
f your pilot group is looking for a different kind of relationship, the
Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) stands ready to assist.
First, ALPA wants to empower North American pilots to
participate in and influence our profession and our industry, since it
changes so quickly.
Second, we want all airline pilots, like other ALPA-represented
groups, to be able to help create favourable contract patterns in the
four cornerstone areas of pay, work rules, benefits, and job security.
And third, we believe that working collectively with the support of
other ALPA pilots and the union’s professional resources offers you
the clearest path to achieving your goals.
Now is the time to step up and guarantee a successful future for
you, for your family, and for your airline. Let ALPA help you negotiate,
administer, and enforce the contract and protections that you deserve
as professional pilots.
Take a tour through the pages of this booklet to learn of the many
benefits that come along with ALPA membership.
On behalf of all of ALPA, I hope to welcome you to our Association.
Capt. Tim Canoll,
ALPA President
3
4
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Introduction
I
n the beginning, 24 “key men”—led by
United Captain Dave Behncke—met in
secret to form a new organization: the
Air Line Pilots Association. Since its
founding on July 27, 1931, ALPA has been
the preeminent bargaining agent for airline
pilots, as well as our nations’ and the world’s
standard bearer in all aspects of airline safety and security.
For more than 85 years, ALPA pilots and staff
members have worked to protect and build the piloting
profession. This booklet provides a brief overview of
what your fellow pilots and this Association can help you
achieve as professional pilots by working together.
All pilots need the benefits and advantages that
can be secured by working under a legally enforceable
collective agreement that is properly implemented and
enforced. With ALPA representation, pilot leaders at
each airline establish their own priorities, make decisions,
and determine their relationship with their airline—all
with the support of ALPA’s world-class resources.
Membership in ALPA provides you with a legal and
collective voice at your workplace and within your profession. With ALPA, you recieve a lot for your
dues dollar—representative and staff support, protection, a host of unique resources and benefits, and
invaluable information—to help you at every phase of your career, inside and outside the cockpit.
Now, let’s explore the advantages of joining the Air Line Pilots Association, International.
5
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
ALPA’s Team Approach
To Negotiations
L
et’s face it, negotiating a collective agreement for pilots—
or really any agreement—can present some unique
challenges. With ALPA, you and your pilot group can
respond to these challenges using a time-tested team approach
to negotiations.
Through the team approach, pilot leaders, pilot volunteers,
and ALPA staff develop a strategic plan and define project
management responsibilities. This team strategy capitalizes on
each player’s particular expertise, knowledge, and experience,
which enables the pilot group to deliver a powerful, unified, and
effective effort in securing their bargaining objectives.
6
Pilot
Voluntee
ers
Pilot
Leaders
ALPA
Staff
7
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Pilot Leaders
ALPA Staff
You and your fellow pilots elect your key
decision-making leaders—the Master Executive
Council (or MEC). After polling members, these
pilot leaders develop a strategic plan that
outlines the goals and priorities for negotiations.
The MEC uses the plan as a basis for direction
and decision making and periodically recalibrates
it to adapt to any changing circumstances.
Local pilot leaders chart the course of
negotiations and make the decisions, but
those pilots call on teams of ALPA experts and
advisors to guide them through the negotiating
process.
That team includes:
professional negotiators/labour
relations counsel/labour relations
advisors, paralegals, and their support staff
in ALPA’s Representation Department help
establish goals, bargain agreements, and write
contract language. They also help implement
and enforce the contract while assisting
individual pilots with general workplace issues
and some governmental agency matters, such
as dealing with Transport Canada.
Pilot Volunteers
The MEC members also select pilots from your
group to serve on committees.
„„ The Negotiating Committee works to
achieve your priorities at the negotiating
table. The committee receives the full
support of ALPA experts and advisors to
guide them through the negotiating process.
„„ Most pilot groups have active Grievance,
Hotel, Retirement and Insurance,
Professional Standards, Scheduling/
Rostering, Safety, Security, and Training
committees. While these committees are
active year-round, during negotiations
they play the vital role of analyzing and
developing negotiating options and
recommendations in their area of expertise.
„„ The Communications Committee builds
unity among the pilot group by creating
and implementing a communications plan
that educates the pilots and their families
about collective bargaining and the goals for
negotiations, updates them on progress, and
encourages them to engage in the process.
„„ The Strategic Preparedness and Strike
Committee (SPSC) builds leverage
throughout negotiations and helps prepare
pilots and their families for the end stages of
negotiations. The SPSC also enlists help from
other pilot groups and secures guidance and
funds from national ALPA resources.
8
49
12
financial analysts and their support
staff in ALPA’s Economic & Financial
Analysis Department. They assess the
airline’s ability to meet the pilots’ needs and
develop complex financial models as part
of valuing the cost of pilot and company
contract proposals.
11
lawyers at ALPA’s in-house Legal
Department. Attorneys from ALPA’s
outside general counsels law firm and a
Toronto-based law firm provide additional
support when necessary.
13
retirement and insurance benefits
specialists, including 3 benefit
lawyers, 2 pension investment advisors, and 1
pension actuary. They help pilots navigate the
complex world of retirement and insurance
and develop programs tailored to your pilot
group’s circumstances.
9
communications specialists from
ALPA’s Communications Department,
in coordination with your elected MEC and
Negotiating Committee, help develop and
continued
ALPA Staff, continued
implement a strategic communications plan, keep
pilots up to date, and ensure that pilots provide
input and feedback during negotiations. This
number does not include the communications
staff members available to assist MECs with
website development, video production, content
development, and creative services.
Years of experience, an in-depth understanding of
the bargaining complexities under the applicable
laws, and commitment to best practices have molded
the ALPA team approach into an extremely effective
process for achieving a pilot group’s negotiating
goals.
ALPA Staff: Retirement
& Insurance
„„ Provides professional support for negotiating the
collectively bargained employee benefit programs
for each pilot group.
„„ Provides employee benefit legal advice, plan
design advice, and defined contribution plan
investment analysis.
„„ Coordinates with ALPA’s Government Affairs
Department on legislative issues that may affect
retirement and insurance benefits.
„„ Assists with benefit plan compliance
and benefit-related pilot grievances.
„„ Offers biennial retirement and insurance
seminars and other benefits
training modules.
„„ Assists the National Retirement
and Insurance Committee in the
design and oversight of ALPA
membership benefit programs.
ALPA Staff: Economic
& Financial Analysis
„„ Supports ALPA members on all matters
related to the economic portions
of their collective agreements—
compensation, work rules, and
ability to pay.
„„ Develops and analyzes
negotiation questionnaires
tailored to each
pilot group.
„„ Assists in
crafting
contract openers.
„„ Provides industry and economic
overviews, including detailed airline
financial analysis based on access
to internal company business plans,
projections, strategies, and other
operational analyses.
„„ Conducts contractual comparisons and
analyses of company positions, including
wage and pay premiums, per diem, work
rules’ effect on scheduling/productivity,
training, vacation, sick leave, etc.
„„ Provides cost estimates on contract
proposals, including an analysis of the
airline’s ability to afford such proposals.
„„ Advises on and develops financial return
proposals (profit sharing, equity, etc.),
including any alternative proposals
unique to the airline.
9
10
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Representation
T
he Representation
Department supports every
pilot group in contract
negotiations and enforcement.
Representation also helps
local pilot leaders formulate
and execute strategic plans,
provides labour-relations advice
and guidance, and represents
individual pilots and pilot groups
in grievances and arbitrations as
well as with Transport Canada
and other similar proceedings.
Pilot volunteers attending an ALPA Negotiating and Grievance Training
The department’s staff members Seminar in April 2015.
include experienced negotiators,
seasoned lawyers, labour-relations advisors and
counselors, paralegals, and support staff who
advise pilot leaders and committees and help them
„„ Assists pilot leaders in the development
successfully carry out their assignments and roles.
and maintenance of MEC strategic
This team works closely with the local pilot group
plans.
leaders in developing strategic plans and resolving
„„ Provides professional negotiators to
issues before they become problems. When disputes
assist pilot Negotiating Committees
cannot be resolved with management, whether an
in securing agreements, then
issue of contract interpretation or disciplinary action
implementing the agreement, and
against a pilot, ALPA’s Representation Department
ultimately enforcing it.
staff will assist your pilot group’s Grievance Committee
„„ Represents individual pilots on matters
in filing formal grievances. Should the need arise,
ranging from contract grievances to
an ALPA Representation Department lawyer will
government administrative actions,
represent your MEC or individual pilots in processing
aeromedical files, and aircraft incident
the file to a successful conclusion through arbitration
and accident investigations, whether
or other agreed-upon contractual mechanism.
initiated by regulatory authorities or
Whether a dispute concerns a management claim
management.
about job performance, government regulations about
Representation
licensing or Transport Canada medical certification
matters, or requires a litigator in the wake of an
accident or incident, the Representation Department
is involved to offer guidance and support.
11
12
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Communications
T
he ALPA Communications Department
serves as your own public relations agency,
advertising firm, and design and print
shop rolled into one. It also provides every line
pilot with timely publications and productions,
helping connect you with your union. Acting as
the voice for the professional airline pilot, ALPA’s
Communications Department ensures that your
pilot representatives put their best foot forward.
Some of the many communications tools include:
„„ Print and electronic newsletters
„„ Websites
„„ Video messages
„„ Podcasts
„„ Pilot group teleconferences
„„ Social networking tools
„„ Blast e-mails
„„ Hotlines
Communications specialists work closely with
pilot group leaders to help develop and implement
strategic communications plans tailored to each
group’s needs. In carrying out the plan, the full
ALPA communications toolbox is at your disposal.
The ALPA Communications Department
serves the whole range of ALPA’s representational
structures and committees. It provides:
„„ Air Line Pilot Magazine: 10 issues a year,
featuring union and industrial issues, as
well as safety, technical, and historical
information.
„„ FastRead: A weekly e-newsletter, keeps pilots
up to date on ALPA’s priorities and industry
happenings.
„„ Social Media: ALPA’s Facebook and Twitter
pages are great sources for instant news and
voicing your opinions.
„„ Multimedia Productions: Video presentations,
the ALPA website, and more.
„„ Publications: Experts guide you through the
coordination, editing, design, and printing
of publications, as well as a large variety of
graphics.
„„ Media Specialists: Promote ALPA’s message,
assist pilot reps in hot-seat public venues,
train pilot volunteers, and cultivate media
relations.
Connect with us!
/weareALPA
@weareALPA
@weareALPA
@WE_ARE_ALPA
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14
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Legal
T
he ALPA Legal Department acts as ALPA’s
cost-efficient internal law firm with broad
capabilities dedicated entirely to ALPA pilots.
The department’s lawyers represent ALPA and its
pilots in virtually every form of litigation and provide
legal advice on a wide range of issues. They:
„„ Handle complex discharge and contractviolation cases for pilots,
„„ Defend pilots before regulators, and
„„ Advance the interests of airline pilots in the
courts.
ALPA lawyers are recognized throughout the
industry as experts in labour and aviation law. Areas
of expertise include:
„„ Flight- and duty-time and all other aviation
regulations relating to pilots,
„„ Airline safety and security regulatory issues,
„„ Aircraft accident investigation litigation,
„„ Employee benefits,
„„ Employment discrimination,
„„ Drug and alcohol testing, and
„„ Union member rights.
They also serve as expert advisors on scope/
job security and other important merger and
transactional issues, as well as other sensitive
matters in collective agreement negotiations. They
work closely with outside Canadian counsel and
with ALPA’s Representation staff and Government
Affairs professionals in the United States and
Canada.
On the international front, the Legal Department
provides expert advice and representation before
various forums on a range of issues including
code sharing, joint ventures, and similar business
arrangements that may impact ALPA members’
jobs. They provide counsel on international air
transport agreements and participate as members
of government-led teams that negotiate air services
agreements. They also maintain relationships with
foreign lawyers to assist pilots involved in incidents
around the world.
15
16
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Air Safety
W
hen your pilot group joins ALPA, you
gain access to the world’s largest
nongovernmental aviation safety
organization, ALPA’s Air Safety Organization (ASO),
composed of hundreds of pilot representatives
with expertise and experience in a broad range
of aviation technical areas. They work with
government and industry entities to keep you, and
the traveling public, both safe and secure.
Their efforts are complemented by full-time
professional staff from the Engineering & Air Safety
(E&AS) Department, which comes with combined
centuries of unmatched experience in numerous
areas, including:
„„ Air traffic control
„„ Airport operations
„„ Aviation security
„„ Aircraft design
„„ Pilot training and qualifications
„„ Aeronautical engineering
„„ Dangerous goods and other cargo-related
issues
„„ Line operations
„„ Aviation human factors
„„ Charting and instrument procedures
„„ Aeromedical
„„ Aircraft certification and pilot licences
„„ Accident investigation
„„ Safety of airline operations such as
unmanned aircraft systems and laser attacks
Together, the ALPA ASO and the E&AS
Department provide numerous benefits to ALPA
members and the entire profession. The ALPA
Worldwide Accident/Incident Hotline, for example,
is a single point of contact that’s available
from anywhere in the world, 24/7/365. Just one
call activates a full-court press of trained pilot
representatives and staff professionals to come to
your rescue should you experience an accident or
encounter a serious safety event.
ALPA protects your reputation, your job, and
your career while improving your workplace by
addressing the root causes of accidents and
incidents in the overall aviation system. No other
pilot union in the world offers this service.
9:41 AM
100%
It starts
with a
phone call.
Assistance from ALPA’s Air
Safety Organization and professional staff is not limited
to high-visibility, dramatic
events. ALPA pilots regularly
call the E&AS Department for
help with problems and questions on the entire range of
aviation safety, security, and
pilot assistance issues.
That phone call starts an
inquiry into ensuring that the
right resources to address the
issue are engaged, whether
it’s the MEC, an ALPA committee, a staff department,
or an advocate in the global
airline industry.
17
18
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Aeromedical
I
magine that your Transport Canada Civil Aviation
Medical Examiner detects a medical condition that
triggers a potential medical disqualification, and
further evaluation is required before you can return
to the flight deck. As an ALPA member, you won’t
face this situation alone.
A call to ALPA’s Aeromedical consultant in
Toronto or Aeromedical Office in Denver will put
you in touch with a physician who is certified in
aerospace medicine and can work with you during
the process to help resolve the issue, whether
by further evaluation from a private physician or
referral to an aviation medicine specialist. Plus,
Transport Canada’s Director of Medicine of the Civil
Aviation Medicine Branch knows and trusts the
professionals who work with ALPA members, which
makes resolution of medical certificate issues faster
and more effective.
ALPA’s aeromedical resources can address
any medical issue related to health, welfare,
employment, or disability. They also:
„„ Answer your medical questions before you
head to the doctor’s office,
„„ Provide guidance on the correct medical
phraseology to use when completing a
medical application, and
„„ Ensure you’re in compliance when taking
prescription drugs, particularly if your
prescribing doctor is not thoroughly familiar
with TC policy.
The ALPA Air Safety Organization’s Aeromedical
Group and Canadian Pilot Assistance Group work
in conjunction with the other ALPA aeromedical
resources to keep members informed about pilot
health matters. They also help defend pilots barred
from flying for health reasons and monitor aircraft
design for issues that could affect pilots’ health,
comfort, and ability to do their jobs.
ALPA Member Insurance
ALPA offers a comprehensive selection of
member benefit plans—optional insurance
programs carefully crafted by pilots for pilots,
focusing on the specific needs of our profession.
In fact, as part of your dues, every Canadian
ALPA member receives a $20,000 life insurance
policy with an expedited claims procedure that
will provide funds to your designated beneficiary
upon your death. Our members may purchase
additional life insurance up to $500,000, and
the only medical underwriting required is the
pilot’s Category 1 medical certificate.
Also included within ALPA’s dues, every
Canadian member, their spouse, and their
children gain access to the Best Doctors
service—a program that provides you and your
family with medical expertise when faced with
the uncertainty of a medical condition. Best
Doctors provides clarity and understanding
while ensuring you get the right information,
the right diagnosis, and the right treatment.
Best Doctors experts can give you a second
opinion about surgery or a serious medical
diagnosis, find a specialist, or assist you in
understanding your condition and navigating
the health-care system.
Our members also have access to critical
illness insurance, a group home and auto plan,
and optional life insurance.
ALPA’s pilot insurance plans are meant to
supplement your company’s plans, but may
be portable if you change employers or are
furloughed. These optional benefit plans are
administered by the ALPA Canada Insurance
Trust, which is a committee of ALPA’s Canada
Board.
19
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Pilot Assistance
A
LPA’s Pilot Assistance Group provides pilots
confidential support and assistance, along
with referrals to available professional
resources in their own communities. This network,
which is composed of pilot representatives in
consultation with ALPA staff, includes:
„„ Aeromedical (see page 19)
„„ Canadian Pilot Assistance
„„ Professional Standards
„„ Pilot Health and Rehabilitation Program
„„ Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP)
Pilot Assistance can help with any situation
that could potentially jeopardize a pilot’s
medical certificate or disrupt the performance of
professional duties—in other words, all aspects of
a pilot’s health and continued well-being.
Professional Standards
Mediates problems of a professional or
ethical nature to ensure a safe operating
environment; attempts to resolve conflicts
between pilots or with other airline personnel
without management involvement and in strict
confidence.
Pilot Health and
Rehabilitation Program
Supports and guides pilots whose careers are
threatened by substance abuse; helps pilots get
treatment for themselves or a fellow pilot so
they can return to the cockpit.
Critical Incident Response
Program (CIRP)
Trains pilot and family peer support volunteers
to help flightcrew members and their families
deal with and recover from the traumatic
effects of an accident or incident.
Also actively involved in the accidentinvestigation process.
Canadian Pilot Assistance Group
The mission of the Canadian Pilot Assistance
Group is to provide confidential guidance and
assistance to any pilot having difficulty in any
aspect of his or her professional or personal
life that may affect job performance or
professionalism.
21
Pilot
Group
LEC
(Local Council)
LEC
(Local Council)
LEC
(Local Council)
MEC
(Master Executive Council)
Executive
Council
(National Officers, Executive
Vice Presidents)
Executive
Board
(MEC Chairmen, Executive
Council Ex Officio Members)
Board of
Directors
(Status and Seniority-Block
Reps, with Executive Council
as Ex Officio Members)
22
LEC
(Local Council)
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
ALPA’s Leadership Structure
A
LPA is a democratic union organized with
pilot members driving decision making from
the bottom up. It is a member-run, staffsupported union. ALPA’s structure begins with local
councils that are established at most pilot bases,
and each local council elects a representative for
each status (captain or first officer) or seniority
block. The elected representatives from each local
council make up the Master Executive Council
(MEC) for each pilot group.
Each MEC is given primary responsibility for
determining its relationship with management,
making decisions about its contract and bargaining
goals, and maintains discretion over dispute
resolution and contract administration. ALPA
assigns professional staff to work with and advise
local leaders, but elected pilot representatives
make all the decisions. Each MEC also preserves
its own autonomy and identity within ALPA, which
capitalizes on the uniqueness and culture of the
various represented airlines.
At the national level, ALPA is governed by three
groups: the Board of Directors, the Executive
Board, and the Executive Council. The Board of
Directors (BOD) is the largest group, and it has the
greatest authority. It consists of the local council
representatives from every ALPA local council—
approximately 190 pilots—and is responsible
for setting the Association’s course, modifying
(when necessary) the governing documents, and
electing national officers. The Executive Board is
made up of the MEC chairmen from each airline
and meets at least twice a year to ensure that the
BOD’s decisions are being implemented, and to
consider certain significant decisions reserved to the
Executive Board in the ALPA Constitution and other
policies. The Executive Council oversees the union’s
administration, including establishing and overseeing
the annual budget. The Executive Council also makes
recommendations to the Executive Board and Board
of Directors for final decision.
ALPA’s structure enables pilots to utilize our
world-class resources to achieve the goals and
priorities you set for yourselves. Through your local
elected leadership, you maintain a strong voice in
matters specific to your pilot group, such as crafting
your contract, as well as Association-wide strategic
initiatives and issues affecting the airline industry
and piloting profession. If you vote ALPA, your votes
decide what this union does for you.
Canada Board
The Canada Board provides an additional level
of governance for Canadian pilots. The Board is
composed of a president, vice president/IFALPA
director, secretary-treasurer, and the chairman
from each Canadian MEC. The Board:
„„ Acts as liaison with the Canadian government
regarding the national interests of Canadian
pilots.
„„ Represents Canadian pilots within the
International Federation of Air Line Pilots’
Associations.
„„ Establishes committees and appoints
committee chairmen as necessary to conduct
business.
23
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Even More . . .
A
LPA offers a vast array of resources to support
its members. Here are some additional tools and
services not highlighted in the previous pages.
ALPA Technical Groups/Committees
Flight Time/Duty Time:
„„ Develops ALPA policy on flight and duty
regulations and is responsible for monitoring the
implementation of Part 117, the recently updated
flight-limitation regulations for U.S. passenger
carriers and related CARs for Canadian carriers.
In conjunction with the ALPA IT Department,
developed the flight and duty app and is responsible
for improvements and updates to the app.
Publishes the ALPA Guide to Flight and Duty
Limits.
„„ Provides members with guidance on the meaning
and implementation of flight limitation regulations.
„„ Represents ALPA in harmonizing flight-time rules
with other countries.
•
•
Jumpseat:
„„ Works with airlines and all pilot groups to implement
and safeguard jumpseat privileges.
„„ Protects pilot-in-command authority related to the
jumpseat.
Security:
„„ Identifies and promotes effective countermeasures
to criminal acts against airliners, airports, and other
airspace systems.
„„ Advocates development of new technologies and
training to advance aviation security.
„„ Provides training programs to further members’
awareness of security issues.
24
Government Affairs
ALPA, recognized as the voice of airline
pilots in Ottawa, has established the
rapport you need with members of
Parliament and other government
officials—powerful people who make
decisions that directly affect your career.
ALPA is second to none when it
comes to effectively
advocating for pilots.
Here are just a few
of ALPA’s advocacy
efforts in Canada that
are highlighted in
ALPA’s current policy
paper, State of Our
Skies: Canada:
1
Protect Canadian aviation
jobs at home and in the
international marketplace
by restricting foreign pilot entrants
to Canada and including labour
protections in Air Transport
Agreements. Through ALPA’s
lobbying efforts, the agencies that
oversee the Temporary Foreign
Worker Program, reciprocal
agreements, and wet-leases must
now ensure that these programs
benefit Canadian pilots first.
2
Enhance the business
environment in Canada. ALPA is
encouraging the Canadian government
to recognize inequalities with foreign
competition by creating programs that
support the airline industry and eliminating
policies that are detrimental to the industry’s
growth, to include a rational, commonsense
aviation taxation policy that fosters the
airline industry’s viability and growth.
3
ALPA is continuing its efforts to
amend the flight and duty time
rules in Canada to be in accordance
with scientific principles and ICAO standards.
4
The Association’s membership in
the International Federation of Air
Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA)
and in developing positions as part of the
U.S. and Canadian delegations to the ICAO
Assembly allows ALPA to influence and
enhance international aviation safety
regulations through ICAO. In 2015,
Transport Canada banned lithium-metal
batteries as cargo on passenger airliners in
order to conform to a new ICAO standard—
but ALPA continues to push for a full ban on
air transportation of lithium batteries.
5
Enhance airline passengers’
experience at the airport.
Lengthy waits in line create
traveler frustration—ALPA
is encouraging the Canadian
government to enact policies
that streamline and enhance the
government security screening
process.
ALPA’s work on behalf of professional pilots
continues today as the airline industry faces
some of its greatest threats ever. Ottawa and
Washington must act in the near term on a
host of issues that will determine the shape
of the airline industry for decades to come.
The decisions our elected representatives
make will affect how many pilot jobs are
available at carriers in the United States and
Canada, how quickly pilots can upgrade,
how effective our carriers will be competing
in the global marketplace, and many more
issues of deep concern to pilots. As the only
organization effectively advocating for airline
pilot concerns in Ottawa and Washington,
ALPA, through its pilot volunteers and staff,
will ensure that all of our governments’
actions are pilot partisan.
Read more in State of our Skies: Canada
(available in English and French).
25
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Globalization
O
nly ALPA, the sole representative for pilots
in both the United States and Canada to the
International Federation of Air Line Pilots’
Associations (IFALPA), can represent you and your
interests at significant international and regional
forums—including ICAO, the aviation arm of the
United Nations.
Through IFALPA, ALPA and other airline pilot
associations from around the world work together
to ensure that pilot concerns are heard, safety
standards are maintained, pilots’ interests are
protected, and pilots can coordinate with each
other across international boundaries.
ALPA participates on all of the IFALPA technical
committees and even chairs some of them, such
as the IFALPA Professional and Government Affairs
Committee, which provides policies and advice
on working conditions and collective bargaining,
26
and for which United Capt. Ron Abel serves as the
committee chairman. ALPA is represented on far
more committees than just the PGA and LAG.
By using ALPA’s resources to participate more
directly and globally in issues germane to the
Association’s representational responsibilities—
preserving and enhancing global pilot standards in
the areas of safety, wages, working conditions, and
other contractual issues in the collective bargaining
process—only ALPA is able to counter the negative
effects of global whipsawing, particularly among
global airline system groups, to benefit your career
and the airline piloting profession at large.
Equally important is the solidarity and assistance
that IFALPA member associations, like ALPA,
bring to the table. Through the combined efforts
described above, IFALPA disseminates important
publications that assist pilots in completing their
daily operations. Should pilots encounter serious
operational problems in a foreign location, they
will find that through IFALPA’s coordination, local
member associations are there to assist that crew in
need.
Learn more about IFALPA at www.ifalpa.org.
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
Schedule with
Safety
More Than Just a Motto
A
LPA has been accurately described as
“the conscience of the airline industry.”
Throughout its history, the Association
has worked both singlehandedly and as a crucial
contributor to government/industry cooperative
efforts to improve aviation safety and security.
ALPA’s influence on safety and security has been
widespread and immeasurable, and some of these
contributions include:
„„ Establishing the first air traffic control centers,
„„ Passing stringent One Level of Safety regulations
in the United States that affect all airline
operations (covering all airliners with 10
passenger seats or more),
„„ Creating improved certification requirements
covering passenger-airliner emergency
evacuations,
„„ Forming government-mandated anti-hijacking
strategies,
„„ Developing airport
marking requirements and
standards,
„„ Developing procedures for
transporting hazardous
materials safely aboard
airliners, and
„„ Developing airline and
airport safety management
systems.
Many of ALPA’s greatest safety “victories”
are those that prevented bad ideas from being
implemented. These accomplishments include
efforts to prevent other parties’ attempts
to decrease safety margins in the interest of
misperceived efficiency or short-term gains.
Numerous shortsighted ideas have been abandoned
during their earliest stages because of the simple
recognition that “ALPA would never tolerate that.”
Today, ALPA is the world’s largest
nongovernmental aviation safety and security
organization. Hundreds of Association members,
backed by the professional staff of ALPA’s
Engineering & Air Safety, Government Affairs, Legal,
Communications, and other departments, serve
their fellow airline pilots and the traveling public in
their roles as aviation safety and security advocates.
The following pages outline just some of
the equipment, procedures,
institutions, programs, and other
protections that without ALPA
would not be in today’s cockpits,
at today’s airports, and on today’s
airplanes—safety enhancements
that many of us might not realize
we have but for the ceaseless
efforts of this union, this society of
pilots who fly the line . . . our ALPA.
27
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
ALPA Ensures that
Cockpits Serve Pilots . . .
28
¼¼ ALPA works with aircraft manufacturers to provide pilot input during the
design phase of new aircraft.
¼¼ Electronic Flight Bags are being installed with ALPA’s strong support. These
systems, among other advantages, provide a moving map display for better
situational awareness.
¼¼ Pilots who fly airliners equipped with a head-up display (HUD) can hand-fly
Category 3 takeoffs and landings. ALPA pilots worked tirelessly for decades to
make airline HUDs a reality and provided line pilot input to HUD symbology.
¼¼ The standard T instrument arrangement, albeit modified in electronic flight
instrument displays, puts critical information in the same place in every airliner,
because ALPA members, alarmed by haphazard panel layouts, did something
about it.
¼¼ ALPA vigorously supported and helped optimize the Terrain Awareness and
Warning System, also known as the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System
(TAWS/EGPWS), which has dramatically reduced a major cause of fatal airline
accidents—controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
¼¼ Because ALPA pilots tenaciously investigated a CFIT accident, airline cockpits
now have instrument comparators to alert pilots when the captain’s and the first
officer’s altimeters, airspeed indicators, compasses, and other instruments don’t
agree; comparators are also vital components of autopilot and autoland systems.
¼¼ The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), vital to
accident investigation and thus accident prevention, are in airline cockpits because
of ALPA, and the Association continues to fight to prevent their abuse.
¼¼ Cockpit weather radar, which airlines originally resisted buying, is one of our
key tools for staying out of harm’s way in convective weather—another safety
system that ALPA insisted be made mandatory in airliners.
¼¼ ALPA played a pivotal role in having reinforced cockpit doors installed in U.S.
and Canadian airliners since Sept. 11, 2001, improving pilots’ protection against
potential hostile intruders.
¼¼ The traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), which ALPA activists
began seeking in the 1950s, has greatly increased pilots’ awareness of other air
traffic and virtually eliminated midair collisions involving airliners.
¼¼ Terrain contours depicted in colour on navigation charts—a safety
enhancement for which ALPA pushed—increase pilots’ situational awareness and
help prevent controlled flight into terrain.
¼¼ Takeoff warning horns—another safety feature for which ALPA fought—have
alerted flight crews that the airplane was not properly configured for takeoff.
¼¼ ADS-B equipage and displays heighten in-flight and ground situational
awareness. Deployment of space-based ADS-B technologies ensures global
tracking of aircraft.
29
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
ALPA Shapes
Modern Airports . . .
www.istock.com
30
¼¼ ALPA pushed for 30 years to require specified aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF)
capabilities at airports, a plan for controlling wildlife hazards at the airport, a formal
disaster plan, and much more.
¼¼ ALPA lobbied long, hard, and successfully for Terminal Doppler Weather Radar
(TDWR) to significantly improve wind-shear detection capability in airport terminal areas.
¼¼ Runway safety areas that ALPA has aggressively promoted have made a big
difference in the outcome of takeoff and landing incidents and accidents. Where terrain,
space limitations, or other constraints have prevented runway safety areas from being
built to full length, “crushable concrete,” which ALPA enthusiastically supports, has safely
stopped airplanes in the overrun.
¼¼ High-visibility, unambiguous, standardized signs and markings are vital to preventing
runway incursions and other mishaps—and ALPA was instrumental in persuading the
FAA to adopt today’s sign and marking standards.
¼¼ Land-and-hold-short operations (LAHSO) conducted with conservative safety
restrictions advocated by ALPA permit improved airport capacity without reducing the
margin of safety.
¼¼ Runway distance-to-go markers clearly convey information important for takeoff or
landing, whatever the runway visibility, which is why ALPA worked so long to get them at
civil airports.
¼¼ The centerline approach light system, invented by Capt. Ernie Cutrell, who received
ALPA’s first Air Safety Award, gives pilots directional guidance and bank angle reference
at night and in bad weather.
¼¼ Full-scale airport emergency drills conducted every three years are among the
requirements placed on air carrier airports, thanks to ALPA.
¼¼ Frangible structures, such as approach light stanchions, can minimize the damage to
an aircraft striking them versus one hitting an unyielding structure. ALPA activists have
led the way in reducing the presence of nonfrangible hazards at airports.
¼¼ Runway grooving and timely cleaning of contaminated runways are important to
keep landings and takeoffs safe; some ALPA pilot safety activists devoted years of their
time to this cause.
¼¼ ALPA-supported visual approach slope indicator (VASI) and precision approach
path indicator (PAPI) systems near runway touchdown zones provide important visual
guidance to pilots during landing approach.
¼¼ Runway edge lights and runway end identifier lights (REILS) are among the lights
that pilots are used to seeing at airports at night and which came into being because
ALPA pushed for them.
¼¼ Precision instrument approach guidance, such as the instrument landing system
(ILS), gives pilots highly precise vertical and lateral guidance to the runway, especially in
low visibility, thus dramatically reducing the rate and severity of landing accidents. No
stakeholder has worked harder than ALPA to get more precision approaches to air carrier
runways.
31
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
ALPA Steers
Aircraft Design
and Operations . . .
32
¼¼ ALPA campaigned successfully to protect airliner fuel tanks against lightning strikes.
¼¼ U.S. noise abatement procedures for takeoff and landing were standardized after
years of ALPA pushing against ill-considered procedures dictated by local airports.
¼¼ ALPA air safety representatives worked over a period of several years to develop
improved standards and procedures for ground deicing and anti-icing fluids.
¼¼ Emergency evacuation tests are more realistic now because ALPA pushed for
changes to certification test requirements.
¼¼ A 1986 ALPA campaign led to TC and FAA adopting the current category system for
master minimum equipment lists (MMELs), which establish the maximum length of
time each specified item or system may remain inoperative.
¼¼ ALPA activists worked for years to bring about better detection and reporting of
volcanic ash clouds that can down multiengine jets, and there are ongoing efforts to
improve that capability even more.
¼¼ ALPA’s 1973 Project S.T.O.P. (Safe Transport of People) and subsequent efforts led
to new regulations and safer shipment of hazardous materials (hazmat). ALPA’s efforts
to ensure safe transport of dangerous goods continue with strong advocacy for robust
regulations covering carriage of lithium batteries as cargo.
¼¼ Safe introduction of airspace system changes, such as reduced vertical separation
minima (RVSM) in international and domestic airspace, came about because ALPA
representatives inserted line pilots’ perspectives and concerns into the process.
¼¼ The distance between exits on passenger airliners cannot exceed 60 feet—because
ALPA pushed back against a manufacturer’s proposal to increase the gap.
¼¼ ALPA spent eight years fighting for the “fasten seatbelt” signs installed in
passenger airliners after a passenger was seriously injured by turbulence on a flight.
¼¼ RNAV and RNP procedures to improve access to remote Canadian airports with
minimal infrastructure requirements increase safety and reflect many years of careful
attention and input from a number of ALPA pilot safety activists.
¼¼ Being able to talk directly to an air route traffic control center (ARTCC) is possible
because ALPA pushed for it; in the early days, pilots had to obtain en route clearance
changes via their airline dispatcher.
¼¼ Procedures and equipment requirements for extended twin-engine operations
(ETOPS) were made at ALPA’s insistence to maintain a high level of safety before
airworthiness authorities permitted flights at increasingly greater distances from a
suitable landing airport.
¼¼ Improved standards for seat strength and flammability resistance of cabin
materials are among the many results of the Association’s decades of effort to improve
airliner cabin safety and crashworthiness.
¼¼ Due to the tireless work of ALPA subject-matter experts, wind-shear detection
equipment and proper pilot training for escaping microbursts have virtually eliminated
wind-shear accidents.
33
ADVANTAGES OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION
ALPA Supports Line Pilots . . .
¼¼ The Restricted Area Identification Cards (RAIC) and Known Crewmember (KCM) programs, expedite
security screening for airline pilots at airports around Canada and the United States.
¼¼ ALPA helped create and remains a staunch supporter of the ASRS and ASAP—voluntary, nonpunitive
safety reporting programs—which have enabled flightcrew members to provide, without fear of
retribution, tremendous amounts of detailed information about safety issues.
¼¼ As the largest, strongest pilots’ union in the world, ALPA vigorously defends the Captain’s
Authority to make safety decisions about operating the aircraft, thus protecting all members
of the crew and their passengers.
¼¼ ALPA Aeromedical services in Canada provided through pilot health consultant David
Noble help members with physical and emotional health issues and with pilot medical
certification issues, dealing directly with TC every day.
¼¼ After an incident or accident, help for ALPA flightcrew members is only a phone
call away via the ALPA Worldwide Accident/Incident Hotline, staffed 24/7/365.
¼¼ ALPA representatives trained in accident investigation provide assistance to
pilot groups in their role as participants in aircraft accident investigations with the
Canadian Transportation Safety Board.
¼¼ ALPA successfully lobbied for mandatory registration of unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS) after data emerged showing hundreds of reports of close
encounters between unidentified UAS and airline aircraft.
¼¼ ALPA consulted with Transport Canada and others on the implementation of
a laser awareness campaign in Canada aimed at protecting flight crews from the
hazard of laser strikes.
¼¼ ALPA has played a crucial role in developing and improving AQP and other
advances in flightcrew training, such as those dealing with wind-shear, upset recovery,
and Line-Oriented Flight Training (LOFT), which make today’s airline pilots the best
trained ever.
¼¼ Crew resource management (CRM), developed with strong ALPA support and input,
has helped flightcrew members maximize their ability to communicate and work
together as a highly effective team. A number of pilots have attributed their escape
from a harrowing emergency to good CRM.
¼¼ Additional ALPA Support for Members:
„„ HIMS Program (U.S.) for substance abuse and Pilot Health & Rehab Program (Canada)
„„ Critical Incident Response Program for post-traumatic stress
„„ Legal support in discipline and enforcement cases
„„ Expert accident investigation teams
„„ Professional Standards Committees
34
Code of Ethics
An Air Line Pilot will keep uppermost in his mind that the safety,
comfort, and well-being of the passengers who entrust their lives to him are his
first and greatest responsibility.
An Air Line Pilot will faithfully discharge the duty he owes the airline
that employs him and whose salary makes possible his way of life.
An Air Line Pilot will accept the responsibilities as well as the rewards of
command and will at all times so conduct himself both on duty and off as to
instill and merit the confidence and respect of his crew, his fellow employees,
and his associates within the profession.
An Air Line Pilot will conduct his affairs with other members of the
profession and with ALPA in such a manner as to bring credit to the profession
and ALPA as well as to himself.
To an Air Line Pilot the honor of his profession is dear, and he will
remember that his own character and conduct reflect honor or dishonor upon
the profession.
Having Endeavored to his utmost to faithfully fulfill the obligations of the
ALPA Code of Ethics and Canons for the Guidance of Air Line Pilots, a pilot may
consider himself worthy to be called…an airline pilot.
35
Air Line Pilots Association, International
360 Albert Street, Suite 1715
Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7
1-877-373-3131
www.alpa.org
BUG
Revised February 2016