ALPA’s Prater Honored by American Labor Museum
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| ALPA President Capt. John Prater |
Air Line Pilots (ALPA) Capt. John Prater was honored last night as an outstanding labor leader at the annual Sol Stetin Awards Gala. The awards are presented every year by the American Labor Museum, located at the historic Botto House in Haldeon, N.J.
The awards—named in honor of late Textile Workers President Sol Stetin—have been presented annually since 1982, and honor outstanding individuals for their contributions to working people. Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) President Michael Goodwin, who also serves as museum president, said Prater has:
exemplified himself in the airline industry, representing commercial airline pilots, negotiating and servicing ALPA members and is recognized by his peers and colleagues for his great work.
North American Pilots Join ALPA
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The 181 pilots at North American Airlines (NAA) are the newest members of the Air Line Pilots (ALPA). An overwhelming 87 percent of the pilots voted for the union.
The pilots fly Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft for passenger, military and cargo operations around the world.
“We are extremely pleased that the NAA pilots have joined the ALPA family,” says Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president.
NAA pilots realized that the world’s largest pilot’s union has the resources vital to help them enforce their current contract now and prepare for negotiations in the future.
The pilots chose ALPA “because of the many benefits such as aeromedical services and the access to worldwide support through ALPA,” says Capt. Al Gallo, temporary master executive council (MEC) chairman of the NAA unit of ALPA.
Those benefits extend to the ALPA staff whose vast experience and expertise will be invaluable in our efforts to protect our rights and advance our careers.
Union Political Mobilization Has Turned Around America
Four years ago, an anti-worker majority in Congress and the Bush administration were conducting a corporate-funded assault on workers and the programs that supported America. They were implementing policies that steered the economy toward the very wealthiest and leaving everyone else behind. What a difference four years makes. Now in the White House, we have Barack Obama, the first African American president and a supporter of unions and working families and pro-worker majorities in both houses of Congress.
Today, at the AFL-CIO Convention, attendees got a chance to examine the successes of union political mobilization and look forward to continuing the fight to elect pro-worker candidates and passing a pro-worker legislative agenda. Delegates adopted a strong resolution in support of continuing an active political program.
Pilots Honor ‘Miracle on Hudson’ Crew, Other Safety Heroes
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They are the everyday unsung heroes who fly planes around the world and, with the help of their crews, keep millions of passengers safe. The Air Line Pilots last week gave some of them their due, honoring them at the union’s 55th Air Safety Awards banquet. The awards were given for outstanding work in the fields of safety, security, pilot assistance, as well as extraordinary acts of airmanship and courage.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of ALPA’s first-ever Distinguished Crew Safety Award to the crew of US Airways Flight 1549. The crew was responsible for the “Miracle on the Hudson” in which 155 people survived an emergency landing of the Airbus A320 in the icy Hudson River in January.
