APA News Digest

Dec. 2, 2023

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In This Edition ...

Clean Draft of CBA and Pay Tables Now Available

This is a new message from the APA Negotiating Committee.

The Negotiating Committee continues to press with post-ratification issues and support to the Joint Implementation Action Committee (JIAC). A draft version of the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement has been prepared and is available for the membership, as are updated pay tables. The posted 2023 CBA remains marked as a draft only because it awaits final review by the Company. Please note: Both parties have been working hard to ensure accuracy and to clean up administrative items. We appreciate the many pilots and committees who have identified scrivener’s errors, which has allowed us to better prepare and manage this lengthy agreement.

Status of The Line Forums

As noted in the Nov. 10 edition of the APA News Digest, the APA Board of Directors passed Resolution 2023-49, “Suspension of The Line Forums,” during its fall meeting. That resolution did not result in the permanent elimination of The Line. Rather, as noted in its title, R2023-49 suspended the forums until such time as the provisions of R2023-47, R2023-48, and R2023-52 Rev 1 can be put into place. These changes include forum moderator training, enhanced enforcement and penalties for violations of the Acceptable Use Policy, and revised procedures for reviewing reported posts. Because R2023-47 includes changes to the Constitution and Bylaws (which require a 100-day abeyance period prior to becoming effective), the earliest these changes can be implemented is Jan. 27. However, contingent on review of these modifications, the Board may vote on restoration of The Line during its winter meeting, which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 22.

FAA Proposes 25-Hour Cockpit Voice Recorders

The FAA announced yesterday that it is proposing to extend the cockpit voice-recording requirement to 25 hours for all newly manufactured aircraft.

“This rule will give us substantially more data to identify the causes of incidents and help prevent them in the future,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a prepared statement.

A 25-hour requirement would align with International Civil Aviation Organization and European Union Aviation Safety Agency regulations. The proposed new rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Monday, Dec. 4. Interested parties will have 60 days to provide comment.

NMB Denies Flight Attendants’ Request

On Tuesday, the National Mediation Board rejected the Association of Professional Flight Attendants’ request to be released to a 30-day cooling-off period, which could have led to a strike.

“We are not backing down. We will intensify our pressure on the company,” APFA National President Julie Hedrick said, adding that American Airlines management “continues to drag out bargaining with contract proposals that do not address the current economic environment.”

APFA has proposed upfront raises of 35% followed by two yearly increases of 6%. American is offering immediate raises of 11% followed by annual increases of 2%. The airline says its proposal to pay flight attendants during boarding would make the 11% raise more like 18%.

Get Educated About Our New Contract

This is an updated message from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

Everything you wanted to know about the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement but were too afraid to ask!

Join us on Dec. 4 in DFW 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 or virtually via Zoom.

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.

Save the date: Our next day of contract training is scheduled for Jan. 11 at LAX.

Short Notice for Short Call Reserves

This is the latest in a series of Q&As from the APA Contract Compliance Committee.

Q: I am a Short Call Reserve, Crew Scheduling assigned me a sign-in 90 minutes from now. I’m not sure if I will make it to the airport in that timeframe. What would happen if I am unable to report at my assigned sign-in?

A: CBA Section 15.J.1.l.(2) defines a Short Call Reserve and the requisite reporting time. Once a Short Call Reserve receives an assignment within their RAP, they are released until sign-in (Section 15.J.6.a). Upon confirmation of the assignment, the Reserve has a contractual obligation to report “promptly,” but a specific call-out time is not contractually prescribed. If you do elect to speak to Crew Scheduling while in transit, it can be difficult to predict traffic conditions, adhere to safety, and also provide an arrival time. A pilot is free to request up-front parking for any assignment.

Should an assignment be removed while you are en route to the airport, you have the option to voluntarily contact Crew Scheduling. This would effectively acknowledge the removal with the expected resumption of your RAP. A pilot may be unable to respond to Crew Scheduling while en route and also report promptly. If no assignment remains upon report, you could then request your “RPT NOGO” sequence. Contained within CBA Section 15.H.2.a, the five hours of “show, no go” pay would then be added to your schedule and serve as the release to Domicile Rest. This show, no go is a pay-only item that will contribute to Reserve Guarantee. It is not credited and will not contribute to GTD nor Variance Groups.

Click here to read the cited sections of the 2023 CBA.

Our Volunteers Can Take Your Calls Again

This is a new message from the APA Compass Project Committee.

The Compass Project hotline is once again operational! Our volunteers are ready to assist and point you in the right direction. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this very important and useful resource.

The phone number for the Compass Project hotline is 817-302-2401. Press 1 for New Hire and general questions, 2 for Captain Support, or 3 for TDY and Vacation Support.

The APA Compass Project is an industry-leading pilot mentoring and support program. Compass offers one-on-one support from experienced line-pilot sponsors for new hires, new captains, return-to-work pilots, as well as tutorial videos and an extensive database of stage-based documents covering a helpful topics that are of importance to all pilots. Click here for more information.

Our Volunteers Are Also Willing to Talk

This is a new message from the Project Wingman Subcommittee.

The holiday season is here, which can lead to elevated stress levels on multiple fronts. There’s the stress at work associated with record numbers of air travelers taking to the skies, and then there’s the stress at home due to holiday commitments related to both children and parents. For some, this combination of work, children, and parents creates a perfect storm. Illuminating this further, an article published by Psychology Today classifies those in this life situation as the “sandwich generation.”

“The sandwich generation is the group of adults with parents aged 65 or older that are either raising a young child or still financially supporting a grown child. These adults have to provide care for their own children and also, in some way, for their aging parents.”

If you find yourself stressed this holiday season, perhaps from having to care for both parents and children simultaneously, you’re not alone. Project Wingman is here if you need to talk. Always feel free to give us a call at 848-APA-CREW, option 1.

Debriefs System Has Been Restored

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

The Hotel Debrief system is working again. APA IT was able to recover all debriefs filed during the period that the system was down, and the Hotel Committee is addressing those debriefs with the company. Please continue to file debriefs for any issues that need to be addressed with AA or the hotel/transportation vendor.

As a reminder, room wait times, transportation wait times, climate control problems, and lack of food options are all examples of issues that are best communicated through the Hotel Survey on the APA Pilot app. The survey is quicker to fill out than the debrief and helps the committee track trends to fully address with the company.

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

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 mid-September, the right engine thrust reverser on B737 aircraft 3NC has been written up 15 times, been on MEL six times, and been out of service 10 times. It was most recently signed off on Nov. 29 and is restricted to Class 1 or 2 maintenance stations.
  • In the last 60 days, B737 aircraft 3AS has been written up 16 times for cabin pressurization, been on MEL six times, and been out of service 15 times. It was recently operated under a special flight permit for the third time to a maintenance base for repairs, where it remained out of service at the time of this writing.

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 Nov. 21: Christopher Akin, Jason Algya, Peter Arnold, Robert Arrighi, Cody Ballard, Landon Beck, Mitchell Bergman, Derrick Bradley, Collin Buesser, Roderick Cameron, Matthew Carner, Steven Dahl, Eric Dietz, Maurizio Dininno, Emerson Do Carmo Guerrero, Robert Dunn III, Daniel Ellis, Drake Ferruzzi, Bryan Fitch, Drew Frederick, William Frost, Blake Geyer, Nathan Gouvion, Kellyn Hall, Brian Harris, Michael Heekin, Matthew Hess, John Holland, Russell Hunt, Jordan Hutto, Austin Kendrick, Ki Tak Kim, Logan Koerwitz, Adam Krainski, Mats Kronberg, Antonio Nicolas Lapeira Uribe, Brent Lightfoot, Dante Mack, Jared MacNaught, Christopher Martinez, Marvin Matheny, Kevin McCollam, Garrett McDaniel, Mark McDonnell IV, Thomas McKeon, Nicholas Napolitano, Shadab Nasim, Michael Nettleingham, Mofe Osiname, Luiz Carlos Pereira Gago Jr., Daren Phillips, Lucas Rinaldi, Dylan Rosenberg, Guillaume Saget, Matthew Sanders, Brandon Shell, Jordan Smith, John Stanton, Samuel Suing, Francis Taype, Arnd Tjeerdstra, Miroslav Todorov, Chad Tracy, Thomas Westphall, Ryan Wilson, and Thomas Wineinger.

APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Classes

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On Nov. 20, 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: Naji Aziz, John Booker, Richard Couture Jr., George Graves, Corey Gray, Patrick Grimes, Brandon Hodge, Calvin Hunter, Ricardo Jimenez Jr., Stephen Landrum, Kathleen McPeak, John Miller, Jason Musgrove, Bryan Perfetti, James Schaible, Matthew Sheehan, Conor Shinnick, Benjamin Sigmundik, Michael Sutton, and Michael Wood.

Click the image for a closer look.

On Nov. 29, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for the same class: Scott Diller, Ryan Fandler, Thomas Gilfert, Matthew Gingrich, Michael Hamilton, Neil Hoy, Paul Ladwig, Monica McNally, Eric Rasmussen, Alex Rivera, Shachar Stern, Juan Velez, George Vess III, Wilbert Volson, Ellis Williams, Richard Williams, and Mark Yarian.

Domicile Events

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

  • BOS: Holiday Party on Dec. 16
  • CLT: Holiday Party on Dec. 10
  • DCA: Holiday Party on Dec. 14; Washington Capitals game on Jan. 16
  • DFW: Contract Compliance training on Dec. 4; Holiday Party on Dec. 16
  • LAX: Family Awareness event in LAS on Dec. 5
  • MIA: Holiday Social on Dec. 2
  • ORD: Domicile Meeting on Dec. 13; Holiday Party on Dec. 14

Domicile Elections

The following CLT pilots have been placed into consideration for nomination as Interim Domicile Chair and have indicated a willingness to serve, if elected:

FO Russ Blackwell
FO Ryan Cianciolo
CA Casey Granger
FO Erik Knauff
CA Dan Scola

The candidates’ resumes will be mailed to all CLT pilots on Dec. 5. Nomination Round ballots will be mailed on Dec. 6 and tallied on Dec. 28. The three candidates with the most votes will advance to the Election Round.

If you have any questions, contact the APA Elections Department via 817-302-2175 or elections@alliedpilots.org.

Weeks in Review

The following messages were sent since the previous News Digest was published on Nov. 17.

Are You Willing to Serve?

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

  • Aeromedical Committee (1)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (2)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
    • Project Wingman Subcommittee (3)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (7)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Hotel Committee (3)
  • Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee (1)
  • Retirement & Benefits Committee (2)
  • Scheduling Committee (5)
  • Training Committee (3)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777 and 1 on 320)

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

Professional Standards FAQs

What time frame can be expected when Professional Standards is working an issue?
Professional Standards issues will normally be resolved within a few days. Due to scheduling complexities, some cases may take longer. The expectation is that volunteers will be as timely as possible and not delay the processing of any issue submitted to the committee. Most cases are resolved within two days.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

Wreaths Across America 

Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit whose primary mission is to fulfill its motto of “Remember, Honor, and Teach” — that is, remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve, and teach your children the value of freedom.
Part of that mission includes coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies each year at Arlington National Cemetery and more than 3,800 other locations.

We are continuing our campaign of American Airlines pilots adopting a national cemetery in each of our domiciles, including BNA, STL, and GSW. This will enable our pilots to give as one group while supporting deceased veterans at their home base.

Please visit www.aapwaa.com and click the link for your domicile. You will find information on this year’s ceremonies and opportunities to help the local coordinators. There is also a link at the bottom of the main page to find a cemetery near you if you do not live in your domicile and wish to help your local area.

This year’s ceremony will be on Saturday, Dec. 16.

If you have any questions, please contact CA Dave Branzell at dsb81@live.com.

Sharing the Holiday Spirit with Christmas Epaulets

This popular, long-running program benefits the families of our nation’s fallen heroes and young people seeking ways to further their education.

CA John Knutson – U.S. Army veteran and a pilot for North Central, Republic, and Northwest Airlines – lost his battle with cancer in 1997 at age 56. To honor his memory, John’s widow, Mary, decided to start making Christmas epaulets. Mary originally directed all proceeds to the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Scholarship Foundation, since John was a 1959 graduate of Chetek High School. In an acknowledgement of John’s love of country, the proceeds have been shared between the Gary Sinise Foundation/Snowball Express and the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Scholarship Foundation in recent years.

You may buy your epaulets here for $20 plus $5.50 for shipping and handling. They’re also available at Crew Outfitters stores at DFW and IAH. If you have any questions, please contact CA Tim Knutson via info@christmasepaulets.com.

Thank you for supporting this worthy cause.

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 Dec. 9 at PHX followed by Jan. 12 at MCO. 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.

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