🚀 go-pugleaf

This seems to do the job, assuming I've understood correctly:

//DESCRIPTION: Align headings at tops of columns

(function() { 
  if (app.documents.length > 0 && 
        app.selection.length == 1 && 
          app.selection[0].hasOwnProperty("parentStory")) { 
    var aStory = app.selection[0].parentStory; 
    var textColumns = aStory.textColumns; 
    for (var j = textColumns.length - 1; j >= 0; j--) { 
      if (textColumns[j].index != textColumns[j].parentTextFrames[0].texts[0].index) { 
        // column is on right side of frame 
        textColumns[j].paragraphs[0].justification = Justification.rightAlign; 
      } else { 
        // column is on left side of frame 
        textColumns[j].paragraphs[0].justification = Justification.leftAlign; 
      } 
    } 
  } 
}())

I wrote and tested it for CS4, but I expect it works with any version from CS2 on.

Dave