Leadership From the Flight Deck
On behalf of more than 58,000 pilots of the Air Line Pilots Association, International, ALPA applauds the Department of Transportation and Secretary Elaine Chao’s commitment to making it easier for our veterans to work in the best industry in the world. Many of ALPA’s members have proudly served our country in uniform, and the union stands ready to assist others in breaking down barriers that may impede them from pursuing carriers in aviation, all while maintaining the highest levels of safety.
Air Wisconsin pilots recently marked two significant milestones:
- #FlyingHome to their roots with United Airlines, once again serving passengers in the Midwest via Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
- Reaching the seventh anniversary of opening negotiations for a new working agreement.
While the recent capacity purchase agreement with United Airlines marks the continuation of Air Wisconsin flying, which was previously in question,reaching seven years without a new contract brings continued frustration for the hard-working pilots.
As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held its midpoint progress report today on their top 10 most wanted improvements to transportation safety, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) reiterated calls for additional important safety recommendations.
It is both sad and unsurprising that some are using the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico to attack the Jones Act -- a maritime cabotage law that protects good U.S. jobs and ensures the U.S. military has sealift capability in times of war or conflict. Sad because the crisis in Puerto Rico is real and the people there need and deserve help from our government, but more to the point, undermining the Jones Act will not solve the problem. It is unsurprising because ALPA knows that foreign interests will find just about any excuse to try and weaken U.S. cabotage rules at the expense of U.S. workers and fair competition.