APA News Digest

Jan. 31, 2025

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In This Edition ...

Outgoing Board Members Recognized

This morning, on the final day of the APA Board of Directors’ winter meeting, President FO Nick Silva and Vice President CA Chris Torres recognized BOS Chair CA Paul McFarland and BOS Vice Chair CA Gemma Meehan, whose terms will end in April, as well as CA Erik DeWinne, whose term as CLT Vice Chair ended in October.

three men, one of whom is holding a framed print of a plane

CA Chris Torres, CA Paul McFarland, and FO Nick Silva

a woman speaking at a podium

CA Gemma Meehan addresses the Board and staff.

three men, one of whom is holding a framed print of a plane

CA Chris Torres, CA Erik DeWinne, and FO Nick Silva

Proving that service to the membership is a hard habit to break, all three pilots will keep volunteering on a national level:

  • CA DeWinne is a member of the Communications Committee’s National Communications Network Subcommittee.
  • CA McFarland will continue to serve on the Financial Audit Committee after his term as BOS Chair ends, and he plans to become the BOS Coordinator for the Aeromedical Committee’s Disabled Pilots Awareness Subcommittee.
  • CA Meehan will continue to serve on the Benefits Review and Appeals Board after her term as BOS Vice Chair ends.

FO Silva and CA Torres also lauded the APA Benefits Department for successful completing multiple major initiatives simultaneously “with integrity, passion, and a professional attitude.” You can read more about the Board’s winter meeting in the Week in Review section of this News Digest, but here are a few highlights:

  • The Board heard remarks from ALPA President CA Jason Ambrosi and also directed FO Silva to invite SWAPA President CA Jody Reven to speak at the spring meeting.
  • The Board authorized expenditures that will make it possible for APA to join the International Federal of Air Line Pilots’ Associations.
  • The Board expanded the Negotiating Committee’s roster by appointing FO Alice Novatnak and FO Patrick Zeller as new members.

In accordance with R2016-10, we are providing a synopsis reflecting all main motions and resolutions that the Board addressed today.

In accordance with R2024-33, video footage of the open portions of the Board meeting is available here.

Telephone Polling Begins Monday

In accordance with Section 4.07.A of the APA Policy Manual, APA will conduct telephone polling next month to continue to actively solicit your feedback. We will continue to poll the membership through a mix of methods (e.g., telephone polling and web surveys), in order to produce reliable and relevant results.

The poll will be conducted by University of New Hampshire employees, who will interview a number of randomly selected pilots across the system. Calls will occur from Monday, Feb. 3, through Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Your input is important! If you receive a call, please take the time to answer and respond to the questions. Responses will be anonymous.

Please look for the following information if a call comes in:

  • All calls will come from 603-397-0660.
  • Caller ID on landlines will indicate “UNH Surv Ctr.”
  • Caller ID on cell phones will indicate “NH Call.”
  • Call times will be between 0900 and 2100 (time zone appropriate).
  • If the call is missed, UNH will attempt to call you back if additional sampling is needed.

As more and more telephone carriers add “spam blocking” technology, some pilots may (dependent on carrier) see a message that says “spam likely” when the call comes through. This message may be generated based on the volume of calls UNH makes. To avoid receiving this message, you may want to consider adding 603-397-0660 to your contacts.

Thank you in advance for devoting your time and for providing candid input.

10 Arbitration Slots Scheduled

APA and management recently scheduled 10 arbitration slots throughout 2025:  

  • Feb. 25-27 – P-09-24 (24-083) Sicher Presidential (May PBS Bid Award)
  • March 17-19 – P-24-19 (18-106) Carey Presidential (Travel for Training & Deadhead)
  • May 7-9 – P-21-24 (24-077) Sicher Presidential (Flight Deck Jumpseat)
  • June 24-26 – P-22-24 (24-090) Sicher Presidential (LTD Calculation)
  • July 15-17 – A termination grievance will be presented.
  • July 22-24 – TBD
  • Aug. 19-21 – 03Q2025 Rocket Docket
  • Sept. 16-18 – P-14-22 (21-040) Ferguson Presidential (COVID Pay Protections)
  • Nov. 18-20 – TBD
  • Dec. 10-12 – TBD

For more information, see the Grievances, Arbitrations, and Litigation page on AlliedPilots.org.

Aeromedical Volunteer of the Year

This is a new message from the APA Aeromedical Committee.

four pilots, one of whom is holding a trophy

CA Chris Torres, CA Eric Stevenson, FO Nick Silva, and CA Rondeau Flynn

Pilots of a certain age will remember Sy Sperling’s commercials for the Hair Club for Men. He always closed with this line: “I’m not only the Hair Club president, but I’m also a client.”

CA Eric Stevenson referenced that line during this week’s Board of Directors meeting, when he was recognized as Aeromedical Volunteer of the Year. Not only did CA Stevenson oversee the Human Intervention Motivational Study Subcommittee, his first involvement with the HIMS program was when he reached out for help. That phone call was the result of what he called a “bad day” in 2012.

“It saved my life, because I was rapidly drinking myself to death,” CA Stevenson said. “In addition, it saved my career. It saved my familial relationships. It saved my friendships.”

His engagement with the HIMS program also made all of his subsequent assistance to other pilots possible. CA Stevenson became a HIMS sponsor in 2016, and he was the Aeromedical Committee’s HIMS Deputy Chair from December of 2021 until March of 2024, a period of significant activity for the subcommittee due to pandemic-induced stress.

“There are some pilots here who are here because of Eric,” Aeromedical Committee Chair CA Rondeau Flynn told the Board. “They’re alive because of Eric. Their families thank Eric.”

CA Stevenson said HIMS is a collaboration between APA and American Airlines that treats addiction as a disease. Pilots who enter the program are told, “Go get better, and this will all be here for you when you get back.” Although he no longer oversees the program from the APA side, CA Stevenson continues to serve as a HIMS sponsor and Project Wingman volunteer, but his service will wind down as he approaches retirement age in April.

“It’s one of those things that operates in the background,” APA Vice President Chis Torres said of the HIMS Subcommittee. “They do great work, and they’re really not recognized as much as we should be recognizing them.”

In case you missed it, one of CA Stevenson’s successors as HIMS Deputy Chair, CA Brian Beckman, was recently featured on APA’s “Positive Rate” podcast.

Our Recommended Reading List

This is a new message from the APA Aeromedical Committee.

In an effort to improve our members’ health, we have created a recommended reading list. Each month, we will highlight a book that has helped in the prevention of, treatment of, or recovery from an injury or illness, or has elevated a member’s education. Feel free to send your book recommendations to aeromed-committee@alliedpilots.org.

a book cover

Do Hard Things

Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky’s Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress.

As Dr. Sapolsky explains, most of us do not lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear – and the ones that plague us now – are illnesses brought on by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer. When we worry or experience stress, our body turns on the same physiological responses that an animal’s does, but we do not resolve conflict in the same way – through fighting or fleeing. Over time, this activation of a stress response makes us literally sick.

Combining cutting-edge research with a healthy dose of good humor and practical advice, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers explains how prolonged stress causes or intensifies a range of physical and mental afflictions, including depression, ulcers, colitis, heart disease, and more. It also provides essential guidance to controlling our stress responses. This new edition promises to be the most comprehensive and engaging one yet.

Disclaimer: This recommendation is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services. Always consult with your medical provider when making health care decisions.

JRS Multi-Segment Booking – Mainline Flights ONLY

This is a new message from the APA Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee.

On Jan. 29, AA implemented programming to allow pilots to book Jumpseat Reservation System (JRS) multi-leg one-way listings on connecting AA mainline flights only.

  • When a pilot selects “Jumpseat” as the type of travel, only AA mainline flights will show. Any available connections involving a non-mainline flight will not display. To display multi-segment options, select “Jumpseat” and deselect “Nonstop only.” The system defaults to one-way listings only.
  • These reservations must be made in the 8-days prior, 8 p.m. Central booking window (both legs must be in the window), and may be booked D1W or D2W where the D1/D2 determines priority for a cabin seat by check-in time.
  • Through (“T”) status will append to connecting legs upon departure of the originating leg.
  • Just like any other JRS listing, Jumpseat List priority is determined by listing time.

JRS listings are contractual and only apply to AA mainline flights. We have pushed for prioritization of multi-leg listing on JRS reservations that would include non-mainline flights, as we feel that would be beneficial for many of our pilots, especially two-leg commuters. Until these reservations are available, continue to book your reservations using this method:

  1. To secure a multi-leg reservation, each pilot may list D1/D2 for all segments of a desired trip and check-in for this PNR only. This multi-leg PNR check-in will allow a pilot to establish “T” (through) status and/or check a bag to their final destination.
  2. The pilot may also list for any eligible (AA mainline) segments via the JRS. The pilot will not check in for the JRS listing(s), but the agent will be able to issue the “W” pass by their priority on the JRS list.
  3. In order to be issued the “W” on a flight using their JRS priority, the pilot will need to check in for their D1W/D2W PNR.
  4. If traveling multi-leg on separate PNRs, always save your boarding pass and have the agent add the “T” to determine priority list status.

APA Welcomes New Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On Jan. 28, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following new-hire pilots: Cristian Alphonso, Darrell Antoniel, Dave Atkins Jr., Christopher Aument, Cory Aviles, Sergio Bautista, Bryan Bernreuther, David Bishop, Sayer Buchanan, Benjamin Clifton, Chad Comunale, Matthew Cosmo, Jeremy Douglas, William Fairchild, Andrew Gilbert, Tradd Gralak, Allison Hill, Travis Hiner, Sean Holzmuller, Ragnar Ingason, Dianna Ingram, Mary Jordan, Christopher Kelly, David Keppler, John Kipper, Mariana May Baratto, Anthony Medaglia, Christopher Melear, Jeanine Menze, Faisal Mukhtar, Elijah Mulligan, Alexandar Neal, Jake Olson, Richard Papp, Christopher Pinho, Martin Prada Novoa, Amandeep Singh, Brian Stephens, Mark Stiles, Sydney Strang, Isaac Swainston, Cody Tarrien, Marie Torres, Michael Tyson, Ryan Van Holland, Zackary Walker, Andy Yee, and William Young.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On Jan. 29, 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: Ivan Bejarano, Daniel Boyce, Jesse Bradshaw, Antonio Caballero III, Michael Chinlund, Lucas Daley, Larry Diamond, Jose Diaz Resto, Aaron Duff, Kurt Friedrich, Simone Gomez Guerra, Patricia Herbel, Richard Mackie, Joseph Meadows III, Christian Owens, Michael Rees, Chad Rogers, and Edward Vanidestine III.

APA Medical Minute – BPPV

In the latest edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Cassie Bien discusses Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), an inner-ear condition, including its symptoms, treatment, and related FAA requirements.

You can watch previous Medical Minute videos on APA’s YouTube channel.

National Election

Members in good standing will elect a President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer to serve from July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2028.

Pilots could submit themselves or others for nomination until 0001 Central on Jan. 30. Pilots whose names were submitted have until 0001 Central on Feb. 6 to make their candidacies official.

Here’s where things stood at 1200 Central today:

President
CA Bill Evans, FO Alex Gutierrez, CA Ed Sicher, and FO Nick Silva were officially seeking nomination. Twenty other pilots’ candidacies were pending.

Vice President
CA Chris Torres and FO Scott Yancy were officially seeking nomination. Seven other pilots’ candidacies were pending.

Secretary-Treasurer
CA Clint Early, FO Philip Johnson, and CA Andrew O’Hara were officially seeking nomination. Three other pilots’ candidacies were pending.

For more information, see the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org.

LAX Domicile Election

When there are four or more candidates for a domicile position, the APA Constitution and Bylaws call for a Nomination Round that narrows the field to three. The following pilots are seeking nomination:

LAX Vice Chair
CA Timothy Dick
FO Cort Keithley
FO Tom Price Jr.
FO Gaston Valdovinos

Nomination Round voting will open at 0000 Central on Feb. 6 and close at 0001 Central on Feb. 28.

For more information, see the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org.

Concourse Conversations at LAX

FO Tom Mann, CA Erik DeWinne, FO Alice Novatnak, CLT Chair CA Heather Boulanger, and CLT Vice Chair FO Hickory Ham were among the volunteers participating in Concourse Conversations at CLT on Jan. 15. These events hosted by APA’s National Communications Network (NCN) allow union leadership to hear directly from line pilots and vice versa.

NCN will host Concourse Conversations at LAX from 0800 to 1100 and from 1500 to 1700 on Feb. 17. If you will be at the airport in those timeframes, please stop by to chat.

Domicile Events

people sitting around a table

More than 500 APA members and guests enjoyed an outing to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo on Tuesday. You can see more photos on APA’s Facebook page.

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

Senior Contract Administrator Says Farewell

four pilots, one of whom is holding a trophy

FO Nick Silva, Rich Barrett, Executive Director Andrea Duff, and CA Chris Torres

Today was the final day a pilot could call Contract Administration and hear “Contracts, Rich” on the other end of the line.

Rich Barrett has retired after nearly 23 years of service to APA. Before being hired as a contract administrator in April of 2002, he worked at American Airlines for 19 years. That stint was preceded by 17 years with Braniff Airways.

Mr. Barrett received a standing ovation this morning from the APA Board of Directors and his fellow employees, whom he served as a President and Vice President of the Allied Pilots Staff Employees Association. During his remarks, he said he decided to retire because his 80th birthday is on the horizon.

“I always tell people, ‘You work to live, not live to work,’” he said. “It’s time to practice what I preach.”

Are You Willing to Serve?

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

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Critical Incident Response Program Subcommittee (1)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivational Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Economic and Financial Analysis Committee (1)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • International Alliance Committee (3)
  • Professional Standards Committee (1)
  • Retirement and Benefits Committee (1)*
  • Scheduling Committee (1)
  • Training Committee (1)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

* Seeking volunteer with financial services experience and possible AIF®, CFP®, or related designations.

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

Week in Review

Here are some recent messages you may have missed.

Professional Standards FAQs

Does Professional Standards only handle pilot-to-pilot issues?
No! We support our pilots in the performance of their duties and interaction with many other entities. Almost every person with whom a pilot engages during day-to-day operations enjoys union representation. We have established relationships for working through issues with gate agents (CWA/IBT), flight attendants (APFA), dispatchers (PAFCA), and maintenance (TWU/IAM). In addition, we also work closely with ALPA, NATCA (air traffic controllers), SWAPA, USAOA (Cathay Pacific), and all of our regional carriers. In collaboration with the APA Jumpseat/Non-Rev committee, we also handle cases that arise between pilots of other carriers. In a nutshell: if you face a challenge with another employee, let us be your first call.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

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

The Future & Active Pilot Alliance’s next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for Feb. 21 and 22 at DFW. 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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