In our latest episode of Talk Story, HAL MEC Chair Larry Payne and HAL MEC Block 3 Representative Sean Kimura explain what was achieved through the mid-January meetings between the Alaska and Hawaiian MECs, where Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) goals were established. They discuss how the bargaining priorities were determined, the pilot input and feedback that went into those priorities, and a look ahead to the beginning of negotiations.

In the second segment, Scheduling Committee Chair Anthony Fink covers a broad range of bidding and scheduling subjects, including how the Average Line Value system works, how Over Schedule requests are processed, what Reduced Block status entails (and why you may or may not wish to opt-out), and how the upcoming increase to Minimum Flight Grouping Credit may affect our March pairings.

If you have any feedback about the podcast and what you would like to see in future episodes, please send us an email at halcommunications@alpa.org.

We’re approaching one year since the initial Alaska-Hawaiian merger announcement. In this episode, Hawaiian MEC Chair Larry Payne and Merger Committee Chair Eric Thorstad give an overview of the potential changes that are coming as a result of the merger, what effects they might have, and the ways our pilots can make an impact on the process.

Among the topics covered:

• Current JCBA Follow-Up Survey & Pilot Participation
• Potential Route Changes
• TPA Protections
• Value of LEC Representation
• Average Line Value & Reduced Block
• Merger Committee Communications & Feedback
• Seniority List Integration (SLI) Data Verification
• MEC Ground School Lunches

For more information about the Merger Committee and the SLI process, please listen to our previous episode from January where we discuss ALPA’s Section 45 (Merger Policy):

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With the merger transaction between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines now final, the separate pilot groups from each carrier will continue the process of combining into one. A significant part of that includes negotiating a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) under which the new combined pilot group will work. The Master Executive Councils (MECs) of each pilot group, as part of the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), have elected six pilots (three from each airline) to negotiate with Alaska Airlines on their behalf. This episode introduces the Negotiating Committee Chairs from each MEC - Alaska MEC Negotiating Chair David Wilhelm and Hawaiian MEC Negotiating Chair Doug Grant. The hosts, Alaska MEC Communications Chair David Campbell and Hawaiian MEC Communications Chair Mike Davis, discuss with Captains Wilhelm and Grant the process of negotiating a JCBA, the importance of working together as a new single unified pilot group, and what the pilots may expect in the next few months, including contract education and pilot input via survey and polling.

ALA-HAL JOINT MERGER WEBSITE