January 1, 2016
As we welcome 2016, a year in which ALPA celebrates our 85th anniversary, it's a time to reflect on the achievements of the past year and also to renew our energy and commitment to realizing our union's vision for the piloting profession and the North American airline industry.
We never waver from our commitment to promote, defend, and advance the interests of our members in the United States and Canada. The knowledge and resources forged from eight decades of experience give us the strength and credibility to remain the most influential and respected voice in aviation and to pursue the highest standards of safety, security, and pilot assistance. The issues that drive our determination are ever-changing, and it is our strong democratic foundation that enables us to continue to adapt and respond effectively.
In 2016, many ALPA pilot groups will begin or continue the hard work of negotiating collective bargaining agreements. Every pilot group, through its leaders, will make its own choices about the course and substance of its bargaining, and each pilot group will be supported in that process by a breadth of available knowledge and unmatched expertise unique to our union. We know that as airline pilots, our strongest strategy for success lies in working in unity to advance at the bargaining table and that unity is essential not only among the members of each pilot group but in the strength of that unity across the industry. It is with this understanding that ALPA's vision to represent all airline pilots in North America is more focused than ever. Organizing is an important part of our effort to achieve improved pay, benefits, career advancement, and job security for our members and that will attract new pilots to the profession.
We'll also keep watch in the year ahead for opportunities to advance labor as a whole. In Canada, the Minister of National Revenue recently waived reporting requirements for labour organizations through 2016—an important policy reversal that ALPA called for to restore fairness and relieve an onerous administrative burden. In 2016, ALPA will keep the pressure on for the full repeal of the labour organization reporting requirements' authorizing bill. ALPA also will redouble our efforts with the new Canadian government in pushing forward our members' goals of new, science-based flight- and duty-time regulations. The precedent is set, and the scientific data is on our side. We are eager to work with the new government to put this long-overdue safety measure back on the right course.
Similarly, when Norwegian Air UK recently applied for exemption and permit authority to serve the United States, ALPA strongly urged the U.S. government to seek more information about how the business model will affect U.S. jobs and the international airline industry. Norwegian Air UK's application may well be different from that of Norwegian Air International, which is a flag-of-convenience scheme designed to undermine labor standards as well as the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement. Until we know for certain, we will continue to call on U.S. regulators to carefully analyze all aspects of Norwegian Air UK's application. ALPA will track carefully and act decisively in 2016 to counter any development that stands to adversely affect U.S. and Canadian airlines' ability to compete fairly in the international marketplace.
A safety issue that has made holiday season headlines was the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) announcement late last month that anyone purchasing a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) must register at Register My UAS. While it's not included in the FAA's new rule, ALPA feels strongly that registration of UAS at the point of sale must be made mandatory. Doing so will help the FAA reinforce the responsibility associated with owning a UAS and enhance the overall safety of air transportation. ALPA will stay the course in pressing for important safety regulations, including UAS owner registration at the point of sale and a mandate that requires geo-fencing and the installation of collision-avoidance capabilities on devices that have the capability to stray into the national airspace. ALPA has filed comments in both the United States and Canada regarding the Notice for Proposed Rulemaking and Notice for Proposed Amendment, respectively, regarding small UAS, and we are calling for additional standards and guidance that must be developed to achieve the desired level of safety in the national airspace.
As the countdown begins to the March 31 expiration of the latest funding extension for the FAA, ALPA will push hard for a full reauthorization that advances aviation safety and helps implement NextGen. The FAA reauthorization process will also present a key opportunity for Congress to ensure the safety of lithium-battery shipments by air. Many passenger air carriers throughout the world have already banned the shipment of bulk lithium batteries as cargo—Congress is now in a position to make changes across the entire industry to prevent another disaster caused by shipping lithium batteries in bulk.
As the world's largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization, we will also remain steadfast in our resolve that the FAA's pilot training and qualification regulations implemented in August 2013, which stem from four fatal airline accident investigations, must remain solidly in place. Likewise, we continue to push for science-based flight- and duty-time regulations for FAR Part 121 all-cargo operations.
In a highly concerning aviation security trend, laser strikes on aircraft occurred in record number in 2015. In response, ALPA is increasing its efforts to safeguard air transportation from these dangerous and illegal attacks. We will also continue to promote a multi-layered, risk-based approach to aviation security that includes installing secondary cockpit barriers on passenger airliners and equipping all-cargo aircraft with a reinforced cockpit door.
In 2016, our union will do even more to build on decades of work to support our members in every way possible—including through ALPA's pilot assistance programs: Aeromedical, Human Intervention and Motivation Study, Critical Incident Response Program, Canadian Pilot Assistance, and Professional Standards. Dedicated to promoting the professional performance as well as the health and welfare of pilots, these programs play a critical role in our union.
For 85 years, ALPA members have supported each other to innovate, collaborate, and advance every aspect of North American aviation––yielding tremendous results for our industry and our profession. This new year presents a new opportunity for ALPA and our industry to grow and prosper. We will do our best work supported by the widest range of pilot volunteers—experienced and new, from every seat, every piece of equipment, and every background at every carrier. I invite you to make 2016 the year that you make your voice heard by getting involved in our democratic union.
Happy New Year.
Tim Canoll
Air Line Pilots Association, International
www.alpa.org