Today, the IAM and American Airlines signed a new MOU on the LUS ASAP program. This new MOU fixes many of the problems we have had with the original ASAP program – most importantly, disciplinary action taken by the company against members who submit an ASAP report.
In August, General Chair Sean Ryan advised the company of our intention to shut down the ASAP program after 2 members were suspended and 1 was terminated over an ASAP submission. Immediately following General Chair Ryan’s announcement, I was contacted by David Seymour, Senior Vice President, Tech Ops to discuss what can be done to save the program. General Chair Ryan, District 142 Director of Flight Safety John Hall and myself later met with Seymour, Kevin Brickner, VP Safety and Jim Weel, Managing Director, Labor Relations to address problems with the old program. During this meeting, it was agreed that those suspended or terminated employees would be made whole, and their record made clear of any reference to the actions taken against them.
In the new MOU, anyone who submits a report to ASAP, and has their report accepted by the ASAP Event Review Committee (ERC), will not be subjected to any disciplinary action, as long as they comply with the recommendations of the ERC. The company has also agreed to provide system-wide training, which will be done by the ERC in face to face training sessions. We believe these changes will make the program what it was supposed to be – a learning tool for both the AMT and the company, to help identify potential safety issues in the field.
Should you have any questions regarding the new ASAP MOU, please contact John Hall, your local flight safety representative or your General Chair.
Fraternally,
Dave Supplee
PRESIDENT & DIRECTING
GENERAL CHAIR
ASAP Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU)
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