Airlines--Management

ALPA President's Department Records

mstepaniak — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:42:42 -0400

The President's Department records are arranged in three parts.

Part I: The Air Line Pilots Association was formed in secret in 1930 by a group of “Key Men” from each airline, they formed openly and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor in 1931. In that same year David Behncke was elected president of ALPA, an office he held twenty years, until being recalled in 1951 (and off and on through 1952 during his legal battle with ALPA). His successor, Clarence Sayen, held office eleven years from 1951-62 and was replaced by Charles Ruby from 1962-70. These three president’s tenures make up part 1 of the President’s Department records. The collection is divided by each president’s term of office, with some overlap in election years, and some overlap between Behncke and Sayen from 1951-52 during the court battles and periodic switches in president. The collection is further divided into: correspondence (external, internal, and with airlines) and the supporting documentation, subject files, and governing bodies and committee records for each president’s tenure. Some of the subjects include: Psychological Testing, Medical Testing, Pilot Benefits, Hijacking, Flight Engineers Jurisdictional Dispute, Crew Complement, Age 60 Rule, United Airlines Class and Craft Dispute, American Airlines Secession, ALPA/ALSSA Split, Behncke Recall, Washington Move, and Technological Innovations.

Part II reflects the office's activities, primarily under J.J. O'Donnell, in coordinating the activities of ALPA local offices and in speaking on behalf of its members in the media and before various government bodies. Predominately correspondence and reports, these records cover subjects such as airline mergers & strikes, airport security, bomb threats, hijacking, and terrorism. Important correspondents include J. Edgar Hoover and George E. Hopkins.

Part III focuses on the careers of the fourth, fifth, and sixth presidents of the Association, J.J. O’Donnell (1970-82), Henry Duffy (1982-90), and J. Randolph Babbitt (1990-98). One of the major issues the presidents from this era had to contend with was deregulation, which completely changed the landscape of the airline industry and the way unions functioned in that system. All three presidents struggled in the aftermath of unforeseen problems and challenges to ALPA pilots including Alter Ego airlines, Chapter 11 union-busting tactics, and the introduction of a B-scale. Other issues they faced include Hijacking, Crew Complement, Age 60 Rule, Cabatoge, Drug and Alcohol Testing, and Strikes at Continental and Eastern Airlines. Part III includes correspondence with government departments, industry organizations, and ALPA members; presidential statements; governing bodies minutes; department files; and committee meetings and reports.

Part IV consists of records from the Southern Airways strike of 1960-1962. The collection largely contains correspondence, including communications regarding matters that weren’t settled until long after the strike ended.

ALPA Herndon EAL Strike Center Records

srafferty — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 14:31:51 -0400

The Herndon EAL Strike Center Records document the 265 day strike on Eastern Airlines (EAL) from March 4, 1989 - November 23, 1989. During this period 3400 of 4200 EAL pilots went out on sympathy strike along with the flight attendants represented by the Transportation Workers Union (TWU), both of whom voted to honor the International Association of Machinists (IAM) strike of Eastern Airlines. The Herndon EAL Strike Center Records focus on the records of EAL Council 142 located in Herndon, VA, but also include EAL wide communications. The records are made up mainly of the daily fax messages sent to each EAL strike center every day for strike coordinators, and pilots and their families. The updates included information on strike developments, negotiations, media coverage, and research to counter company information. They also provided information about benefits, family awareness blocks, and writings to keep morale up. In addition there is information on Operation Love Song, the IAM/ALPA/TWU travel agent program, MEC updates, and strike/picket information and procedures. Also included are pilot letters, writings, songs and poetry, and cartoons created during the strike.

ALPA Steward and Stewardess Division Records

srafferty — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:39:41 -0400

The Steward and Stewardess Division was created by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Board of Directors in 1960 after ALPA and the Air Line Stewards and Stewardess Association (ALSSA) separated in 1959. Following the same basic structure as ALPA, the division had its own Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Executive Board, and national officers of Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Initially consisting of 20 airlines and around 3,580 stewardesses, by 1969 the S&S Division represented approximately 10,000 stewardesses through Local Executive, and Master Executive Councils on each of their airlines and assisted them with negotiations, grievances, sex and age discrimination, air safety and equal employment issues. In 1973 the stewardesses signed a charter of affiliation with ALPA and formed the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). The Steward and Stewardess Division Records contains Office Records, Correspondence, Governing Bodies Minutes, MEC/LEC Records, Publications, Negotiations, Agreements, and Constitutions and By-laws. The subjects covered include: Air Safety, Crew Complements, Organizing, Uniforms, Contract Negotiations, Seniority, Negotiations, Bidding, Scheduling, Sex Discrimination, Marriage Rules, Age Discrimination, Maternity Leave, ALSSA/ALPA Dispute, Strikes, Age 32/35 Policies, and Women’s Rights.

ALPA Contracts: Flight Attendants

srafferty — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 17:16:05 -0400

The ALPA Contracts: Flight Attendants collection is made up of flight attendant, steward and stewardess, and air hostess contracts from various U.S. airlines from the 1940s to the 1970s. Included are contracts, letters of agreement, side letters, memorandums of understanding, and other negotiations, negotiated by the Air Line Pilots Association, the Canadian Air Line Flight Attendant’s Association, the Air Line Stewards and Stewardesses Association, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the Transportation Workers Union of America. Contracts are ALPA unless otherwise noted.

ALPA Miami ALI MEC Records

srafferty — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:18:10 -0400

The records of the Airlift International (ALI) Master Executive Council (MEC) cover the last decade of ALI’s existence. The airline originated as Riddle Airlines and became Airlift in 1965, expanding in 1968 and buying out Slick Airways. The airline went into Chapter 11 in 1981 and reorganized but was plagued by problems for the rest of the decade. The pilots and management were at odds over collective bargaining and working agreements and the MEC spent much time negotiating contracts and attempting to enforce work rules. In 1986, the Airlift fleet was grounded by the FAA for noncompliance with noise regulations. All ALI pilots were furloughed, causing ALPA to take custodial leadership over the ALI MEC; the airline ceased domestic flights and only operated a short stint of flights in Asia in 1987. Airlift ceased operations completely in 1991.The ALPA Miami ALI MEC Records are made up of correspondence, Chapter 11 documents and litigation, negotiation documents and notes, letters of agreement, and agreements.

ALPA Miami EAL MEC Records

srafferty — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 17:34:15 -0500

Parts 1 and 2 of the EAL MEC Records spans 30 years but focuses mainly on the last decade of Eastern Air Line's operations. Major subjects include mergers, air safety and bankruptcy litigation.

ALPA Miami Joint Council Office Records

srafferty — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 14:19:42 -0400

The ALPA Miami Joint Council Office (JCO) was a regional office for ALPA Region II and councils in the Southeast United States. It was home to several Master Executive Councils (MEC) and Local Executive Councils (LEC) including: Braniff Airways MEC and Council 29, Delta Airlines Council 71, Eastern Airlines MEC and Council 18, National Airlines MEC and Councils 8 and 73, Pan American Airways (PAA) Council 10, Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra, PNG) MEC and Councils 38 and 83, and Riddle Airlines (RID) MEC and Councils 114 and 134. The Region II Vice President also worked out of the office and kept his files there. The JCO records cover the years 1935 to 1968 and span a number of technological and service changes within the airline industry. The records are made up of MEC and LEC minutes and correspondence, A-Z files, correspondence, reports and studies, contracts, negotiations, aircraft evaluations, and air safety and accident investigations. Subjects include: Behncke recall, Third crew member/Crew complement controversies, American Airlines secession from ALPA, National Airlines Strike 1948, Southern Airlines Strike 1960-62, Pilot physical controversies, “Take-A-Look” policy, Flight Engineers International Association (FEIA) issues, and Air traffic controller controversies.

ALPA Miami PAA MEC Records

srafferty — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 10:37:15 -0400

The records of the Pan American World Airways (PAA) Master Executive Council
(MEC) span from the 1970s to 1991 when Pan Am ceased operations. The PAA MEC worked to ensure its pilots had fair working agreements, and focused on retirement and insurance for all levels of cockpit crew. In 1980, Pan Am bought National Airlines (NAL) in an attempt to expand their domestic routes and increase revenue. The MEC pursued an evenhanded merging of the two seniority lists, however the end product caused some frustration among the pilot group, particularly those lower on the seniority list. In the end, the merger wasn’t enough to save the airline and PAA declared bankruptcy on January 8, 1991. The PAA MEC Records include MEC meeting minutes, agendas, and supporting documents from the 1980s and 1990s, as well as administrative, and Retirement and Insurance Committee files from the 1970s-1980s. The Pan American-National Airline merger is covered through subject files, arbitration hearing transcripts, and exhibits from both the PAA and NAL ALPA, and the PAA and NAL Flight Engineers International Association (FEIA).

ALPA Publications

srafferty — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:47:50 -0500

The ALPA Publications is a collection of pamphlets, newsletters, magazines,
bulletins, manuals, constitutions and by-laws, arbitration transcripts, and research reports
produced by, or involving ALPA from 1933-2006. ALPA’s main publication, Air Line
Pilot, is still in print and so not included here, but both ALPA national, and individual
Master Executive Councils (MEC) also produced a wide variety of publications during
the past 80 years which are included in this collection.