I JUST GOT THIS FROM ALPA!!!

Dear ALPA Member,
I have some alarming news from Capitol Hill that I want to share with you immediately. I know you'll be as outraged as I am!
Legislation was just introduced in the United States Senate that will put our managements right in the cockpit with us on every flight we make. That's right.

The bill will allow airlines free access to the information on CVRs and FDRs
and to use that information ". . .to improve pilot performance. . ." and make
sure we, as pilots, are "performing at the highest levels. . . ."

In other words, the legislation will provide legal cover to management to review CVRs and FDRs for the purpose of prosecuting pilots.

Congress has put forth some pretty despicable proposals in the past, but this one may well take the cake! Here are the shocking details:

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), the Ranking Member of the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, is the ring leader. His bill, S. 3048, the Pilot Professionalism Assurance Act, wouldpermit airlines to freely audit CVRs and FDRs to:


discipline or discharge pilots or flight engineers,

evaluate and monitor the judgment and performance of pilots, and


justify or require pilots to submit to proficiency checks.

He’s already sent out a request, asking other Senators to sponsor his bill. . .and there may well be other anti-union sympathizers in Congress who will support this vindictive proposition!

His message stated,

"Unfortunately, all information from Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorders is specifically blocked from airlines by provisions within the pilot union contracts with the airlines. This must change. The stakes are just too high.”

If that wasn't bad enough, it continued,

"We must give airlines every tool available so they can ensure that their pilots are performing at the highest levels. . . ."

To make matters worse, DeMint’s staff is boasting that the NTSB endorses this approach to improve cockpit safety. In fact, that’s a bit of a stretch. The NTSB is calling for airlines to review and analyze all recorded information to identify safety trends as a way to watchdog the workplace, but notes that the reviews should be done anonymously and could not be used to punish individual pilots.

Despite the NTSB’s reassurances, this is a slippery slope that none of us wants to get near!