August 29, 2014
Dear Members:
As a continuation of the National Executive Council’s (NEC) Safety Initiative in highlighting the vital role we all play in aviation safety, I would like to call your attention to the “Compliance Reminders” that are published each month by Safety and Standards Director David Brooks. The Compliance Reminders are posted to the National Website, under the Safety and Standards Page, and touch on a different subject each posting. They are intended to draw your attention to areas where there has been an identified risk, or opportunity for mishaps, and serve as a tool to aid in prevention. I would like to ask you, as you go about your daily work routines, if you identify a safety concern please do not ignore it, rather take the appropriate actions to help correct the issue, whether that means filing an ASAP report or contacting your Local Safety and Standards Chairman.
Southwest Airlines (SWA) Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) negotiations continued this month. The Negotiation Updates (video and written) on items discussed during this session have been posted to the AMFA National Website. The next scheduled AMT negotiations are September 10–11, 2014, and the next scheduled meetings for the Facility Maintenance Technicians are September 3–4, 2014 in Dallas, Texas.
On August 16, 2014, Local 14 held their “Membership Appreciation Barbecue” at the Alaska Airlines hangar in Seattle. We served all three shifts and presented members with their AMFA hats from National; if you haven’t already received yours, you should be receiving it very soon. Local 14 will be holding another membership appreciation barbeque in Portland, Oregon on September 10.
At the end of the month, the National Secretary/Treasurer and National Safety and Standards Director met with leaders from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University at their Florida campus. The discussion was varied and some of the topics covered were the education and training practices for AMTs, current and upcoming research on the craft, and the AMFA National Scholarship where a student attending AMT school is awarded an amount that goes directly towards tuition. The NEC relishes opportunities like this to “raise the standards of and increase recognition of the class and craft…” (AMFA Constitution Art. 2, Sec. 2)
On August 6th I was able to attend Local 4’s General Membership Meetings via Zoom software; it’s fantastic how they have leveraged technology to provide for greater participation in their meetings.
For more carrier specific updates and further information regarding AMFA and the airline industry, please visit the AMFA National Website at www.AMFANational.org. Our most determined efforts will only succeed with your continued support and participation – Please stay informed.
Sincerely,
Louie Key
National Director