The Alaska Pilots Podcast

Voluntary Leave and Incentive Line LOA page. Contract Compliance Team (CCT) phone number: 888-767-2228.

Bidding for the recently negotiated Letters of Agreement (LOA) for Extended Incentive Lines (EIL), Retirement Extended Incentive Lines (REIL), Extended Leaves of Absences (ELOA) and the Early-Out Retirement Program offered by Alaska Airlines to its pilots is underway and will close on July 15 at 09:00 PDT. In this episode Strategic Communications Chair, Capt. David Campbell speaks with MEC Chair,...

Three new LOAs were approved on June 17 by the Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) and Alaska Airlines executive management. These agreements create a number of voluntary extended leaves and incentive lines which, depending on the level of participation, could minimize—or possibly eliminate—the need to furlough. In this episode, MEC Chairman, Will McQuillen, Negotiating Chairman, Chris Gruner, a...

This breaking podcast update covers what occurred at the Special MEC meeting on Sunday, June 14. We will release a more detailed episode in the days to come covering the new LOAs that were approved by your MEC today having to do with new leave and staffing options for our pilots.

In this episode, MEC Chairman Captain Will McQuillen and MEC Vice Chairman Captain Joe Youngerman discuss management’s conflicting messaging regarding the recent position bid award, their unilateral decision to exit the COVID-19 Protections MOU, and questions raised about furloughs. The MEC and ALPA National have a number of resources to help pilots deal with this potentially stressful time. If yo...

  Join host Strategic Communications Chairman, Captain David Campbell, MEC Chairman, Captain Will McQuillen, Strategic Planning Chairman Captain Ronan O’Donoghue, and Aeromedical Chairman First Officer Steve Savidge.  In this episode, they reflect on where we are as we navigate through this pandemic, recent work of the Negotiating Committee, pilots’ concerns about furlough, and concerns regarding...

Strategic Communications Chairman, David Campbell speaks with MEC Chairman, Will McQuillen and Scheduling Committee Chairman, Scott Rubin. An important Call-to-Action is underway to demand the safety of our workplace. Add your voice by following the link below. https://alpa.quorum.us/campaign/25675/

Your MEC’s work continues as the world deals with the effects of the Coronavirus. Host Strategic Communications Chairman, Capt. David Campbell, MEC Chairman, Capt. Will McQuillen, and MEC Secretary, Capt. Garin Tentschert discuss a number of topics: What we know so far about how the stimulus bill, known as the CARES act, will affect Alaska Airlines Ongoing negotiations related to early-out retirem...

MEC Communications Chairman David Campbell, MEC Chairman Will McQuillen, and Negotiating Committee Chairman Chris Gruner discuss events of the week including announced flying reductions, the May System Bid cancelation, the recently passed stimulus bill, new MOUs, and other topics. This episode was recorded on Friday, March 27, 2020. Referenced in this episode are two recently signed MOUs. For your...

As we continue to adapt to the effects of COVID-19 and hear of reduced flying throughout the industry, pilots are naturally concerned about their immediate futures. Host Strategic Communications Chairman, Capt. David Campbell and MEC Chairman, Capt. Will McQuillen discuss steps the MEC is taking to protect flying jobs, work toward creating voluntary reduced flying and/or leaves of absence, and how...

Listen to host, Strategic Communications Chairman Capt. David Campbell, discuss the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the airline industry and specifically to our pilots. MEC officers, Capt. Will McQuillen, Capt. Garin Tentschert, and Capt. Scott Mokos, provide some perspective and thoughts on other major events that have affected our industry and discuss some of the steps union leadership is tak...

In this episode, MEC officers and other committee chairs discuss current events and issues affecting the pilot group. Among other topics, Executive Vice President Joe Youngerman provides an update on ALPA’s work to improve the KCM experience for pilots. Membership Chairman Will Swoveland discusses attrition numbers and what those who chose to leave Alaska Airlines have to say about their decision.

In this episode, MEC officers and other committee chairs discuss current events and issues affecting the pilot group. Pilots who are junior in their seat/base may be particularly interested in the discussion of the latest position bid which will close on December 5, 2019 at 17:00 pacific time.

Pilots at Alaska Airlines began negotiating improvements to their collective bargaining agreement with management in June 2019. Now the pilots’ Negotiating Committee is shifting its focus to the significant aspects of the contract known as the four cornerstones—work rules, job security, benefits, and pay. In this episode, MEC Chairman Will McQuillen, Negotiating Committee Chairman Chris Gruner, an...

On September 6, 2019, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) filed a lawsuit in federal court addressing Alaska Airlines’ unilateral change and bad faith bargaining practices. The issue related to the company directing pilots to order a new uniform despite clear contract language requiring the MEC’s “mutual agreement” on certain changes. That mutual agreement was never obtained. Subsequent to ALPA...

Host Capt. David Campbell continues his conversation with captains Will McQuillen, Joe Youngerman, and Jon Wrigley about what recent negotiations surrounding uniforms and HIMS reveal about Alaska Airlines. In part two, these elected pilot leaders talk about what the MEC is doing in the face of these frustrating times with management, share why they are still hopeful about our future, and explain w...

Three former and current MEC chairman sit down with host Captain David Campbell to discuss what the recent interactions with management surrounding HIMS and uniforms reveal to us about Alaska Airlines management and what we might expect in the future. We know pilots have concerns about management’s unilateral decision on the uniform and we will discuss whether getting fitted for and ordering is re...

The Alaska MEC has shared an executive summary of its strategic planning document with its pilots. In this podcast, host Capt. David Campbell, Strategic Communications chairman, discusses that document in more detail with MEC chairman Capt. Will McQuillen, MEC vice chairman Capt. Keith Louis, and MEC Strategic Planning chairman Capt. Ronan O’Donoghue. In a video released in August 2018, the Alaska...

Strategic Communications Chairman, David Campbell sits down with Negotiating Chairman, Chris Gurner and MEC Chairman, Will McQuillen to discuss pending contract negotiations and the importance of Safeguarding Our Future through the collective bargaining process. Part of that conversation dealt with Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act and the fact that it contains no requirement of arbitration.

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