Air traffic control

ALPA Governmental Affairs Office Records

bbealmear — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:39:51 -0400

Part I: These records contain information on air carrier safety, airport security, hijacking, and pilots' benefits. They also mostly reflect the activities of Judge James F. Gartland during his appointment as director.

Part II: This collection consists of exhibit packets concerning safety issues.

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 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 Publications: Air Line Pilot

bbealmear — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 09:43:16 -0400

Air Line Pilot is ALPA's main publication and has been in continuous print since April 1932. The first volumes were published twice a month, and came in newspaper form, running about 4 pages each. ALPA soon began to produce Air Line Pilot monthly and steadily increased the page count, eventually publishing in the present magazine form in 1949. Air Line Pilot covers a variety of topics relevant to pilots such as news in the airline industry, ALPA structure and Association news, technical innovations and information, medical studies, contracts and organizing, and stories on airlines and individual pilots. Subjects include 85 Hour Rule, Age 60, ALPA Organizing, Air Mail, Ariel Hijacking, B Scale, Crew Complement, Deregulation, Eastern Airlines Strike, Northwest Airlines Strike, Southern Airways Strike, Steward and Stewardess Division, Terrorism, Trans World Airlines Strike, Wien Airlines Strike, and Wind Shear. The collection contains the complete run of issues from 1932-present. It also includes a bound volume from 1931 of various letters, organizational information, and other publications issued by first president David Behncke to keep ALPA members updated before production of Air Line Pilot commenced.

On Display: Michigan Labor Actions case exhibit

eclemens — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 09:33:21 -0400

Michigan Labor Actions case exhibit
February 10, 2025 – July 3, 2025

Come by the library and explore our latest case exhibit, Michigan Labor Actions. This display features photographs, ephemera, and artifacts from our collections that highlight key collective actions in Michigan’s labor history. Events showcased include the Copper Country Strike (1913), Studebaker Strike (1913), Ford Hunger March (1932), Flint Sit-Down Strike (1937), UFW Grape Boycotts (1970s), D.R.U.M. Wildcat Strikes (1970s), P.A.T.C.O. Strike (1981), and the Detroit Newspaper Strike (1995–1997). read more »