Engagement Moves Us
Our industry is in crisis and we are facing the monumental challenge of rebuilding from the ground up. To survive, an engaged pilot group is essential.
Engagement means interacting with our association on a consistent, timely basis with relevant information. Unfortunately, our current organizational structure– with a staff CEO and an elected MEC Chair– has not been fully embraced by the pilots, creating confusion regarding who is the ‘true’ leader of our association. LEC meetings are infrequent and often inaccessible to those who do not live in base. Elected officials often end up flying less and having little or no facetime with those they represent. Processes to collect and address ongoing contractual issues and provide feedback to the membership are not fully developed. As a result, an undercurrent of apathy flows within our ranks along with a sense of distrust that continues to fester and grow.
When we are engaged we feel confident that concerns are being addressed and that collective interests are being pursued. To get there we need open access, authenticity and transparency from our association. Without an engaged pilot group we are at the whim of outside forces including airline management, governments and regulators. On the flip side, when pilot leaders know they have an engaged pilot group behind them they will be empowered to make the tough decisions, to speak out against negative business interests and will take critical positions in order to protect our profession.
“We should all remember these times and never take trust or support for granted.”
ACPA’s first president, Capt. Tom Jerrard, in concluding his presidency after a certification vote and bargaining unit change, two contracts, strike, attacks in the labour courts, a $300 million lawsuit, as well as the hostile takeover attempt on Air Canada
HOW DO WE ENGAGE OUR PILOTS?
Invest in communications: Pilots want timely, consistent and relevant information from the association. This takes serious investment (currently only about 4% of dues) and an organization-wide, strategic approach to communications.
Two-way digital platforms: Our pilots want properly moderated forums for two-way communications within the pilot group, allowing internal discussion and feedback.
Regular membership meetings: Host consistent LEC membership meetings with a streaming option for members who can not attend in person.
Face-to-face: Commit to openness and offer greater accessibility to pilot representatives in the airports, in flight planning facilities and in the flight deck. Provide engagement opportunities with MEC Chair, CEO and top leadership through multiple channels like video, podcast and social media.
More hands on deck: Assess the viability of a displaced MEC Vice Chair, responsible for our many technical committees and enabling the MEC Chair to engage more frequently with our pilot group. Just as our passengers want to hear from the Captain, especially in a crisis, our members want to hear directly from the pilot leadership.