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!

 

Please tell me you at least wrote your representatives and did not post on here in place of...

 

My personal politics don't need to be broadcast here...

 

I think we're missing the point of your post then. Are you for or against this bill, and are you advocating that others should get involved in the democratic process?

 

...possible issue for an industry wide pilot strike ?!

 

I like how Sen De mint is quoted as saying "the stakes are just too high". If thats the case, pass something that will pay me better. What a toad bag.

 

I sure hope SAPA and the other non-alpa carriers send some reps there to help get this thing destroyed. I doubt they will since they have no political power or money to do so. And since "alpo" isn't good enough for them locally they will just have to sit back and hope alpa can stop this. They want the big brother protection without paying for it. Once again alpa is trying to save the industry for ALL pilots. Even those who think they are too good to need them.

I sent my pac donation. If this bill gets passed we as an industry are in big trouble. The damage it would do to safety would cause more accidents. Pilots will now sit quietly and try and fix an issue that comes up without saying a word for fear of losong their jobs if management "thought" they didn't handle it the best way.

 

If ANYTHING should unite every airline pilot group...TSA and GoJet, Republic and Expressjet, Comair and Delta, whatever....this proposal should be it.

THIS is the issue that should create a very public, very legitimate Suspension of Service threat.

With a credible threat of pilots from every airline walking off the job en masse over this issue, this thing would get resolved A-S-A-P.

Would the public or the media understand? Of course not...but they're not on the side of the professional pilot anyway...

 

Sent my own personal comment to both of my senators.

Asked all my family to do the same.

 

Just sent in my letter, and I hope everyone on here has, or is doing the same.