They have no CBA with the FAA, government, Eulen or airport. As for 'Sticking around' to 'Clarify' anything is a joke. Following a brief recess, the chief administrative law judge returned to the courtroom and rendered a decision from the bench granting the motion in its entirety, Sicher said. The following morning, Ingram awoke to several voicemails from American Airlines flight department, expressing shock that he refused to take a drug and alcohol test. Stay prepared. The union said there were several more weekends in July and August where there continued to be problems. The pilots union, along with the flight attendants union, has complained that problems at the airline this summer have made it difficult to get hotels, food and transportation for crew members during trips. Better sell the third Maserati too! I've been exactly there. By October 7, that number decreased to 232. Regional airline discouraged pilots from getting COVID vaccine because of increased passenger demand By Kris Van Cleave March 25, 2021 / 6:47 AM / CBS News American Airlines subsidiary. The only difference is the lifestyle and monthly bills. JetBlue pilots inspire teamwork and take pride in making values-based decisions in the air and on the ground. All of those members are still able to perform their duties as professional pilots, the letter continued. Is it true that in the USA, pilots have only a first name and no surname. I am not surprised this happened. This site uses different types of cookies. On the other hand, the pilot should not have cavalierly said "No David here!" How do you know the Eulen employee lied? Legal fees alone would eat every penny I have saved over a lifetime given the ample pockets of the testing company and AA. What is their say in the matter? In 2000, a ramp agent took the picture above of him at Palm Beach International Airport. Good luck to you Captain. I hate these Big Companies like America who take Government money but treat the staff as non human sham on American hope he gets MILLIONS, I am glad that this man took the steps to fight for himself because a lot of big companys dont give a dam about anything or anybody else because they are making there millions , This man was a vigilant worker and spent many years as a excellent pilot with never a problem or being written up for any indiscretions and at 65 I doubt that he would start then , Blessings to you and I hope you get reimbursed every penny and more Sincerely Donna Our. I am a commercial bus driver and the random drug test is usually notified directly to drivers via email, is the employer duty to properly and clearly notify employee and provide employees the address of the drug test clinic. I would be willing to bet he never treated his employer as poorly as they have treated him! According to his testimony, nearly 100 regional aircraft are parked at United due to the ongoing pilot shortage. You might assume well maybe he had something to hide, but clearly thats not the case, because he then volunteered to take a test, and had no drugs in his system. Subsequently, Ingram met the notifier and told her his name was not David, and the two both walked up the jet bridge and into the terminal.. This is a disastrous and sad story.No matter what kind of a settlement he gets it isnt going to compensate him for what they did to him . I've been on the receiving end of having my ATC license taken away for medical reasons because of the FAA's archaic and behind the times rules. Random testing is way out of controll. inferiority complex kicks in to ignore when he is associated Well I find it hard to believe someone with few years from retirement had to do all those to survive. Monica, 33% of people making $250,000 a year live paycheck-to-paycheck. The FAA never contacted My CFI, never did a background check or contacted the flight MD who issued my medical license. Atlas Air hired 32 pilots in January. March 28, 2021 - CommuteAir visiting ATP training centers the week of March 28. As a result, Mager wrote, Ingram was grounded forever and all FAA public records of him ever having been a pilot were gone from the FAA Airmen Registry public website., This is a BETA experience. Apparently he'll kick me off before I even make it down the jet bridge. "It's better to be down here wishing you were up there, rather than the other way around", they say. He previously worked as a business journalist for the Orlando Sentinel, Tulsa World and The Monitor in McAllen. He just makes bad decisions. You must admit. Anyone in the transportation field needs to have random drug and alcohol testing. FedEx to no longer require pilots to have a 4-year degree to apply, and hire 70 pilots per month for the "foreseeable future". American Airlines to Hire 440 Pilots by the End of 2021. The increases would make the pilots the highest paid of the U.S. regional airlines, ramping up pressure on other carriers to follow suit. Nothing but a Y membership without the pool. Endeavor pilots are leading the way with the best hourly pilot pay and enjoy a family-like culture where your team supports you every step of the way. It is up to AA to come up w/ procedures that conform w/ labor law which ultimately requires documentation in writing by both parties to move to termination or other serious punishment. I was a flight attendant but things were not so bad then. Its also hiring flight instructors and flight attendant recruiters as it gets ready for recovery. July 2021 - Following the release of American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) 2021 second-quarter financial report, the carrier revealed its intent on adding 1,350 pilots by the year 2022. February 13, 2021 - Spirit Airlines has announced it is hiring new pilots and flight attendants in anticipation of a return to normal travel levels in 2021. The union only represents you when you get disciplined by the company. A name like Dewitt can easily sound like David when said with certain accents. Delta Air Lines is flying a different route. The pilot continues to fly and continues to use drugs. SCHAPER: The pilots' unions at both American and Southwest note that the FAA prohibits pilots from flying for 48 hours after getting a COVID vaccine shot because of potential short-term side. Since the FAA unlawfully revoked his license, he may have a seperate claim against them for taking away his living w/o proof of any crime or policy violation. The procedure is flawed if the paperwork isn't presented initially. Smart money says the contractor had an accident, pronounced the W as a V, and this pilot, unless we are to believe he has never heard someone with an accent attempt to pronounce his name, figured he could just move on by saying it wasnt his name. Completely a big and desastrous mistake done by the Airline and the people in charge of taking the Drug text.I certainly hope this pilot win his case in court and be compensated for time loss, his reputatin and good name be clarify.My best wishes and luck to him ! The program, which is available exclusively to ATP Flight School students and instructors, provides applicants a conditional job offer for a first officer position upon the successful completion of a background check and technical interview, creating a more streamlined hiring and onboarding experience for qualified candidates. I wish him luck. A UA sample has his written name and birthdate on the outside of the cup and reverified with a sheet choosing which patients are to be tested. Seems like the guy giving the drug test should have double checked on the name by looking at a ID makes more sense to me. The Allied Pilots Associationrequestedthat American Airlines find alternate means of compliance with the Executive Order be made available for professional pilots so as not to prompt mass firings and unpaid leave following President Joe Bidens Septemberannouncement mandating large employers to require vaccinations or weekly testing. So AA told FAA to take away his license and the FAA was wrong here. But I experienced the worst racial harassment in my 40 +years in the aviation industry there. Well a PhD like you should know, the problem lies at who determines what is considered "drugs". See more about our ethics policies here. According to their union, 4,200 of American's 14,000 pilots are not vaccinated. Now he and the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American pilots, will pursue a third case, a grievance against American. July 2021 - Republic has increased its new hire First Officer bonus to a industry leading $17,000. He spent all his money doesn't mean he's guilty. Two months later, he was fired from the airline, and even had his license revoked by the FAA. The union for American Airlines pilots is calling on the company to fire the management team members who control the American Airlines operation after another summer when the carrier sometimes struggled with delays and cancellations. The contractor asked for someone called David. It seems, the "corporate world" acted not only too quickly, but also vindictively by having a government entity further the egregious error. Currently Hiring 80 Instructors Per Month. After 21 years of service he surely knew the seriousness of the situation. February 26, 2021 - Come fly with us: Our First Officer application window opens March 1 to March 7. Now corporate America and hedge funds that control Wall Street cut jobs and demand the rest to do two or three peoples jobs. DeWitt Ingram joined American Airlines predecessor MetroJet in 1999. Be careful what you eat! I had to explain that these Bagels contain poppy seeds. Were you there? As a commercial truck driver I am subject to random drug and alcohol tests as well, so I understand the implications of refusal to test. The steps required to become a commercial pilot, ATP laid the foundation for success in my aviation career from zero experience to my dream major airline in just 5 years.. The company is in the red every year. Exactly, I find it highly unusual that he did not stop to confirm via employee I.D that it was not him . These will be spread out across Uniteds hubs, with Newark seeing the largest rise in workforce. In fact, Southwest also had a series of weather and technical delays in June that resulted in thousands of delays and cancellations. Divorced, picked a wrong person. Theres still junk everywhere. Hes turning 65 in January 2023, which is the retirement age for pilots. His life finances have nothing to do with him being fired. This is the type of mistake I tried to avoid, "Ive exhausted my 401K and sold stock and two cars to survive.". So the union's hands were tied. Nevertheless, Mager wrote, American requested that the FAA revoke his pilot licenses and aircraft ratings. I was reading and kept wondering ok wheres are his Union reps. Sign-on Bonus, $15,000 with $10,000 after training completion and $5,000 at one-year anniversary. April 2021 - American Airlines plans to resume hiring pilots this fall, the carrier told aviators on Tuesday, as a rebound in demand prompts airlines to rethinking their future staffing. This man has not been treated fairly by a company he worked for 32 years. March 1, 2021 - Starting February 23, 2021, United will resume interviewing eligible Aviate applicants from across our partner network: universities, flight schools, Part 135 operators and United Express carriers. Specifically, first officer Libertad Salmeron was fired by Volaris for not following the sterile cockpit procedure, whereby pilots are only supposed to be performing essential tasks while at below 10,000 feet. As of September 28, 593 employees refused to get the vaccine, according to the company. Why didn't the employee at Eulen immediately contact a Supervisor? American declined to comment. I hope the pilot gets a nice settlement. Some of APAs members are unable to undergo vaccination for documented medical reasons, while others are reluctant to get vaccinated based upon concerns about the potential for career-ending side effects, read the Sept. 24 letter. DeWitt Ingram, who is now 64 years old, spent 21 years flying for American Airlines. Pilots (and even more so Capitan of a legacy airline) are some of the most well compensated professions in the planet, especially in America. There are only 2 pilots ..9 sometimes 11 flight attendants. An American Airlines pilot was fired and had his pilot license revoked by the FAA after a botched drug test situation. UPS hired 23 pilots in January. I have no recourse to this vindictive crime. That's how people's lives get ruined by people not doing their job right. Random testing is enabled through a notification process whereby a notifier directly approaches the pilot and notifies him by name. Mager wrote. I was a certified DOC drug and alcohol testing instructor and have done thousands of test. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart / Getty Images) The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. If the company doing the random drug testing for the airline can't get a pilot's name correct, why would you trust them to be able to get the chain of custody correct with your testing sample. He spent all his money doesn't mean he's guilty. As a student pilot my ground school instructor wouldn't have endorsed my flight log book nor would my CFI risk his safety or license had he suspected drug use after 50 hours of flight time. Does any employee have the duty to inquire further? As it turns out, the pilot who took that video has been fired by Volaris. She didnt know his name and apparently thought he was somebody else. The U.S. rail company in the memo noted that many employees have expressed apprehension about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Our pilots are safety conscious and customer oriented. @Mike I completely agree and that is exactly what I said. CRJ-Type Rating Bonus, $7,500 for pilots with qualified CRJ-type rating. Well I find it hard to believe someone with few years from retirement had to do all those to survive. How is it that the contract employee stated the wrong name, ("David"), but was able to report the correct name as having refused the drug test? I'm 22 and on my way to become a professional pilot, I have gotten most ratings done, and also an associates degree. ATP students can earn $11,000 in tuition reimbursement. * Sexual harassment. His life finances have nothing to do with him being fired. But, assuming it transpired exactly as reported by the pilot (and memory is rarely precisely correct) the pilot should have asked to see the test paperwork to ensure there wasn't a mix-up. Employees will be required to submit proof of vaccination to Amtraks self-service portal. My FAA incident was long before I went there. My brother and I grew up around aircraft our whole lives. To that extent, the airline will be opening up positions for roughly 120 pilots. I would not have just kept walking. All birthdays , Holidays, graduations missed in order to fulfil our job responsabilities. Ive exhausted my 401K and sold stock and two cars to survive. A judge ruled that the FAA illegally revoked his license, and he can now proceed with suing both the airline and the company behind the drug test. On the other hand, the pilot should not have cavalierly said "No David here!" I'm an FAA Airman too. Many services and employees were transferred to Eulen in advance of the American Airlines bankruptcy, wrote Sicher, himself a Miami-based pilot. A pilot with a social media following for his anti-vaccine views has gone viral for attacking his airline's mandate on employees getting the coronavirus shot. Southwest Airlines pilots perform a check in a 737 aircraft before a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington. Scares the CR** out of me. The Allied Pilots Association, a labor union representing 14,000 American Airlines pilots, is urging its members to stay focused as some pilots fight the carrier's vaccine mandate. It would be nice if the individuals responsible were made to pay also. Ive exhausted my 401K and sold stock and two cars to survive. to fulfillment of my lifelong dream of becoming an airline pilot," he said. The judge quickly struck down the FAAs case. Alaska Airlines Business Card Review: 70K Miles & Lufthansas Boeing 787 Business Class: Exactly As Expected. The airline contractor clearly asked for a specify person. Had I spent a dime on this matter would have played into this narcissistic individual vindictiveness. Bias treatment of workers, no unity. Employees not fully vaccinated will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result weekly, according to the memo. The pilot if he had nothing to hide should have taken the drug test. In this post: American pilot didn't take drug test intended for someone else Court sides with fired pilot What a terrible, cruel story Bottom line Airline pilots are subjected to random drug testing, which is totally fair when you consider how much responsibility they have. People can just about do what they want to another person. Three Sun Country fleet employees have claimed the airline fired them in retaliation for their support of a union approved in January. Worse yet AAL managers sanctioned it wholeheartedly and aggressively. Avelo Airlines on Thursday announced a significant raise for its pilots, becoming the fourth U.S. carrier in just two months to take action in an effort to attract more pilots The move comes two weeks after Avelo announced it had raised $42 million in a Series B funding round. If he got "fired" 2 years ago and already depleted everything he got, what was his long-term plan to live 15-30 years or so with his 401K? Hopefully this pilot gets $2,000,000 for AA, Eulen America and $4,000,000 from the FAA who was acting as AA's Beyotch. Please double-check the required fields below. So even if he got his job back he couldn't work without that license. The airlines don't care about their employees now. Heres a case where someone got fired over a drug test situation, even though they had nothing to hide. You make wild assumptions with zero info. Not saying this captain is hiding something, but maybe he was drinking & when the name thing happened he sped off to avoid being fired for coming up hot? But yeah he should have stuck around and just said what's the last name why is no one talking about what's the last name you're looking for that would have cleared it up immediately but that's what happens when you contract out something that's so damn important a drug test is so important You can lose your job and career over this and they contracted out to save a buck It's a shame on American to do that You want to contract out work all the ramp out there and mechanics and all that kind of stuff fine but contracting out someone doing a drug test on someone's career no they couldn't pronounce the name right but he should have said what's the last name you're looking for He took advantage of that but Americans wrong for contracting this out in the beginning, So sad he should get all back pay he is not guilty until proven aa should have better known guy with 21 years service no bed record both aa and drug testing companies must pay up and get his license back. American Airlines is also in the middle of negotiations with pilots over a new contract. Lessons learned. I hope DeWitt gets every single penny he deserves. After 21 years of service he surely knew the seriousness of the situation. February 28, 2021 - Print. I got it back, but it took a few years, and in the end the FAA had to give me my retirement time lost and seniority back. Alleged negative voice mails are nothing more than harassment. It's the dirtiest of business practices. The airline contractor clearly asked for a specify person. . The airline says the. It I were on the jury, I'd award Hon 100 million dollars. At American Airlines, for example, more than 7,200 of the airlines more than 15,000 pilots are set to turn 65 over the next decade. Random Testing is very much needed. They get five months training. 2016 www.independentsentinel.com. Easier to break someone financially than to be right in the first place. The pilot should have stuck around and confirmed the true name of the tested, and the testing company should not have jumped to conclusions and deemed it as a refusal to test. Most performed their duties well, but we're identified ONLY via unscheduled drug testing. Hospitals are even trying to force patients to get vaccinated. He sued the airline and during the discovery phase it came out that another pilot had reported suspicions that he was under the influence of drugs previously. I agree that they both screwed up. The company has a strict vaccine mandate, requiring staff to get the shot or be terminated,. In the military the ID is always check and signature. I would counter the bluff. Scares the CR** out of me. I've duked it out with their lawyers. This case is just now going through court, and the pilot is finally getting some justice. Stay up-to-date on pilot hiring announcements and what's going on with the pilot job market. May 2022 - FedEx: No Degree Required and Hiring 70 Pilots Per Month. It is not to much to ask! It's really hard to tell what happened at the jet bridge. They dont just go to a gate and hope they get the right person. December 16, 2021 - Major US airline executives faced questioning from the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday. American Airlines pilots want customers to know how bad things have gotten Business travel is slowly returning. The carrier plans to hire 10,000 new pilots by the end of the decade and a total of 25,000 new employees by 2026. Minnesota-based Sun Country and United Express carrier GoJet, which have all announced pilot pay increases since the beginning of December. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. The question is why him? At least that seems like a good way to cover your rear. Now as far as clarification on the name, they both should have stayed to clear that up. American Airlines Pilot Fired Over Botched Drug Test, American pilot didnt take drug test intended for someone else, American Airlines Rolls Out New Safety Video. As former Chief, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention & Control Program HQ U.S. Army Europe, I "saw" numerous soldiers discharged from the army for "drug positives." There is no mistaking the patient. They are tasked with assuring that American Airlines operation is reliable, not only for our pilots but most importantly for our passengers, Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer said. However I found being a member better for me, in certain times, than not being a member. The hard working people of America are being treated with no respect or dignity. The pilot has blasted the curriculum online, and the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition which supports it. American Airline's with cannabis pot leaf stars and touch up the at the paint bays were neater, question if I can start her may I taxi her around the airport? August 2021 - Our pilots share a passion for safety, customer service and caring for their crews. He deserves all benefits reinstated and what he has lost since loosing his job plus punitive damages. I would not only suit AA and Euling companies, but I will also would go and suit APA , the Pilots union representing all 15,000 Professional Pilots at AA for not following through. With 18 domiciles, a fleet of over 450 aircraft and growing, and flying agreements with four mainline partners United, Delta, American and Alaska SkyWest offers the best quality of life for pilots. American Airlines sent out a defiant email to all of its U.S. employees, putting them on notice that if they do not get fully vaccinated against COVID by November 24, they will be FIRED on the spot. We worked together with the same CFI and when a disgruntled Ex girlfriend of mine went to a FAA online whistle blowing website made a faults accusation that I was an illicited drug user of 3 different kinds of drugs and proceeded to file it as annonymous user. Using names, let alone on first names, is fraught with the potential mistakes. They had to know who the pilot was that was to be tested. American Airlines tells TMZ the pilot who made the announcement was in uniform but not flying the plane that day. According to an internal memo, FedEx to no longer require pilots to have a 4-year degree to apply, and hire 70 pilots per month for the "foreseeable future". Good luck, Although I agree with the testing asking for a person and it was the wrong person should have been noted somewhere in the testing company notes all the things that happened to cthis pilot was an avoidable situation Im happy he took it to court and the ones who blessed up are held liable, I wouldve thought the pilot wouldve stay there and try and find out who this David was or if it was him with a typo mistake. Airline . The Allied Pilots Association representing Americans pilots is already planning to start informational picketing campaigns next month at Miami International Airport, with more to come later at DFW International Airport and Charlotte. Look at Hostess Foods. After the FAA presented its case, APA special counsel Sue Edwards made a motion to dismiss the case based upon the lack of credible factual evidence produced by the FAA, Sicher said.