Conference attendees were updated on all matters pertaining to industrial, geopolitical and business matters currently experienced by our relevant pilot communities.
ATLANTA, GA – Convening at DALMEC’s HQ in Atlanta – an unprecedented number of SkyTeam Pilots Association (SPA) member airlines had a productive two-day conference. SPA was delighted to welcome colleagues from EVA Air, China Airlines (Taiwan), LATAM (Chile) and WestJet alongside regular and established attendees.
Conference attendees were updated on all matters pertaining to industrial, geopolitical and business matters currently experienced by our relevant pilot communities.
One point of discussion for SPA is the question as to Delta management’s influence on business decisions being made across the alliance. Member associations discussed this concern with regard to how it relates to Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), negotiations and labour relations in general. There is concern that deteriorating labour relations at Delta is spreading to other member airlines of SkyTeam.
SkyTeam Pilot’s Association is dismayed by the autocratic approach taken to industrial relations by the senior management of Alitalia, AeroMexico and China Airlines (Taiwan).
Any threat to a pilot’s job security and/or terms and conditions is simply unacceptable in the current global airline industry.
SPA is also opposed to two-tier pilot contract policies, including A scale and B scale pay and working conditions. ASPA has and continues to oppose and fight to eliminate this discriminatory policy at AeroMexico as it is the only airline in SkyTeam maintaining these divisive terms and conditions.
SPA encourages relevant senior management and government officials to act in a professional, engaging and productive manner.
Recent SPA member achievements were rightly lauded at the conference – with Korean Air announcing the integration of two independent unions. Working on improving current terms and conditions as well as welfare can now be the focus.
BALPA’s Virgin Atlantic representatives announced the successful introduction of a crew rest seat for all three pilot qualifying operations – this has been an arduous piece of negotiation.
The SPA Flight Safety committee again addressed new and long-standing issues including:
- Safety is no accident – and always continuing to raise the safety bar is an ongoing challenge met head-on by the conference delegates
- SPA is always keen to improve, modernise or better facilitate the association’s working practices and governance. Related resolutions passed include:
– Acceptance of China Airlines represented by Taoyuan Union of Pilots (TUP) as an Executive Board member
– Approval of the WestJet MEC (ALPA) as an associate member
– Acceptance of Sindicato De Pilotos LATAM Airlines Chile (SPL) as an associate member
"We are pleased to have had a very stable past two years in terms of our organisation infrastructure and governance. This has been reflected by the unanimous re-election of SPA officers to new terms after having served in their current roles."
SPA looks forward to further harnessing the collective energy and integrity of our growing association and so further under-pinning our goal influence.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
