The Delta MEC traveled to Chicago, IL, this week to take part in the 50^th ALPA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting. The MEC first took part in a Special Meeting, which included presentations from the Delta MEC Officers, Negotiating Committee (NC), Executive Vice President, and BOD Steering Committee.

The BOD, ALPA’s highest governing body, is comprised of elected representatives from each airline who meet every two years to review national policies and consider policy changes. Highlights from this year’s BOD are below:

• Ratified changes to the Constitution and Bylaws that will be beneficial to the Delta pilots, including:
  • Beginning January 1, there will be no more dues on 401(a)(17) payments received as cash compensation. “Cash over the cap” will no longer be duesable, regardless of participation in the MBCBP.
     
  • Amended the criteria for “large council” status to include 2,000 pilots at an airline with over 10,000 pilots. This will allow NYC Council 66 to have four status reps to share the significant workload and ensure Delta pilots receive the services they need.
     
  • Created the ALPA Strategic Plan, which will guide the actions of ALPA National Officers and committees for the next two years. Many Delta priorities such as ensuring continued support and coordination for state sick and family leave laws were included.
     
• New Elected Executive Vice President: The Delta MEC elected SLC Capt. Reed Donoghue as its new Executive Vice President (EVP). ALPA EVPs serve as members of the Executive Council and share the responsibility of overseeing the budget, policy, Constitution and Bylaws, and Association at large.
   
• ALPA’s Political Action Committee (PAC): All eight Delta councils were recognized as being in the top 25 councils to donate to the committee. ALPA-PAC is a bipartisan political action committee funded by voluntary contributions from ALPA members, focused on supporting pro-pilot initiatives and advocacy, and advancing related issues through lobbying and election efforts in Congress. You can donate to ALPA-PAC here!

 

The Delta MEC will meet in regular session the week of November 18 at the Renaissance Midtown Hotel in Atlanta, GA. During the meeting, your elected representatives will receive updates from MEC Officers, Negotiators, and select committees on recent events and work being done on behalf of the Delta pilots.

In addition, elections will be held for the four MEC Officers positions – Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. Per the Delta MEC Policy Manual, nominations and election for the Chair will occur as the first item of business on Tuesday, and nominations and elections for the other three positions will occur as the first item of business on Wednesday. The two-year terms will begin January 1, 2025. Any member in good standing may run for these positions. No Flight Pay Loss will be provided, but expenses will be covered for candidates. Please direct any questions to your local elected representatives.

Any member in good standing may attend the MEC meeting during open session briefings. If you would like to attend, please email MEC Secretary Shane Corbett at shane.corbett@alpa.org for more information.

Meeting Location

Renaissance Midtown Hotel
866 W Peachtree St NW
Atlanta, GA 30308

Open Speaking Time – Tuesday, November 19

The Delta MEC will host open speaking time on Tuesday, November 19, from 12:30 - 1:00 local time. Any member in good standing may address the MEC during this time. Speaking time will be divided evenly between participants, up to a maximum of 10 minutes per speaker. Please email MEC Secretary Shane Corbett at the email above if you would like to participate.

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) will begin polling November 4-12. If UNH contacts you, please take a few minutes to share your statistically valid feedback with your elected union representatives. Please note the following:

• 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”
• Calling times are between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (time zone appropriate)
• UNH will attempt to call you back if your sampling quota has not yet been completed

As more and more carriers add “spam blocking” technology – some pilots (dependent on carrier) may receive a warning from their carrier that says “spam likely” when the call comes through. This warning gets generated based on the volume of calls UNH makes. UNH, in collaboration with industry groups, is working on solutions to this, but at this time, UNH does not have a good alternative other than letting the pilots know in advance. They can choose to add UNH’s number to their contacts and, as a result, will not receive a warning.

Happy Halloween from the Delta MEC! Please review the following office hour changes:

• ALPA offices will close early for Halloween at 3 p.m. ET.

Please note the following if you need union assistance:

• For real-time actual or potential FAR 117 questions and concerns, please call the Delta MEC FAR 117 Hotline at 800-USA-ALPA.
• For all other inquiries that do not pertain to a possible or impending violation, please submit a Pilot Scheduling Report or an inquiry via the Scheduling Tracking System (STS).
• Contract Administration (Enforcement) can be reached via DART.

The Delta MEC wishes everyone a happy and safe Halloween! ??  ??

 

 

Verify Correct Ship
Recently, the ASAP team has noted an uptick in ASAP reports regarding the incorrect ship parked at a gate. Pilots have captured the error when verifying flight release information and we want you to be vigilant of this potential threat.  

Most often, the incorrect aircraft is marshaled into the gate when the ramp personnel are expecting similar aircraft, e.g., when multiple A320 aircraft arrive at the same time. Larger stations are more susceptible to this issue than smaller stations. Some stations, such as ATL, have flight numbers and aircraft-type data on the VGS that prevent this error. Not all stations have this equipment. Additionally, smaller stations may have multiple aircraft of the same type parked overnight and the incorrect aircraft is moved to the gate for an early departure.  

Incorrect aircraft on a gate can be caught by many personnel, but our pilots are the best suited to detect such an error. Stay vigilant, and please file an ASAP if you encounter this issue!  

Multiple Ways to Reach Out to PAN
PAN volunteers are peers trained to be a listening ear, to assist pilots navigating difficult times or challenges. All conversations with a PAN volunteer are confidential, and autonomy is never taken away from the caller.

There are two ways to contact PAN. Delta pilots can call the PAN hotline (1-888-432-5726), which will connect them promptly to a volunteer. Alternatively, a PAN Position Report can be submitted through the PAN DALMEC website. The position report triggers a callback during the times you prefer. You are not required to disclose any personal details about the matter when submitting a Position Report. Do you need some confidential support? Reach out to PAN.

Profit Sharing
The Company has already started to validate this year’s military duty for profit sharing purposes. Unless you are contacted directly by the Company requesting your orders, you do not need to submit anything.

Holiday MLOA Reminders
Most military pilots are used to notifying the Company of their military duty via iCrew which will normally drop an entire rotation. This is not the case when your duty includes days within a holiday APD period. Even if the military duty you are entering is outside of the APD period but the remainder of the rotation is, you may get an error from iCrew. The easiest method to notify the Company of your duty is via the military leave log. Keep in mind that rotations in the APD holiday period may be split, leaving portions for you to operate. Ensure that any required travel to/from the location of your military duty is protected by using a travel day on either or both ends of your military duty time as permitted under FOM 27.5.7.2.

VA Disability Reminder
Ensure you accurately report any VA disability benefits on your FAA medical application. Failure to do so may result in your FAA Medical being revoked, disciplinary action, or both! Please submit a DART to the MAC if you have any additional questions.

 

 

 

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