The Election Update
LEC Base Chair Nominations are Open!
ACPA announced the opening of the LEC Base Chair nominations this week. This is an incredible opportunity for our grassroots movement to start driving the change we seek. By supporting LEC Chair Candidates who share our vision, we will be one step closer to bringing about the positive change that is needed for our pilot group.
We are currently in active discussions with a number of potential Candidates who support the platform laid out on our website. It is important to support Candidates that balance some ACPA experience along with fresh perspectives and share our desire to help our Association fundamentally function at a much higher level. By supporting individuals who already have Association experience we will avoid repeating the pattern of change candidates of the past who had a ‘clean the house’ mentality, but no institutional knowledge. In certain cases, there may be an opportunity to support sitting Nationally Elected Members (NEMs) who are considering a run for LEC Base Chair positions. If successful this could open up their NEM seats to future candidates looking to build additional experience and carry the P4C message. We also believe, as past governance audits have revealed, it is time to stop the pattern of inter-base competition and support a slate of candidates who can effectively represent their pilots locally while holding a shared national vision.
The P4C Election Strategy
Pilots for Change has identified areas where our Association has opportunity to grow and improve. These areas are separated into six core elements; knowledge, engagement, professional pride, community, accountability and culture. Our challenge is to identify like-minded candidates running in this election who will focus their energy on these core elements and bring the practical “how to” ideas to the MEC during their time in office. With an MEC that is aligned on a common strategy with tangible goals, the change our Association desperately needs can be enacted. Then our MEC will be empowered to lead our pilots past the current Covid-19 crisis and well into the future.
While we have engaged potential candidates from a number of bases, we are still searching for a compatible individual who is willing to run for the YWG LEC Base Chair position. Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle in light of recent layoff announcements. Ideally, we want to support a YWG Candidate who is able to weather the storm of current layoffs and surplus list uncertainly. We need an individual who can remain at the MEC table to ensure continuity of leadership. If you are interested in running – or know of someone who supports the Pilots for Change platform – send us a message through the feedback form on the bottom of each page at pilotsforchange.ca.
Time for Change
It is very important to find unity within our diversity of different aircraft types, seniority ranks and bases. As Labour Day approaches, we must remember our unity is our strength. Our objective is to fold as many Air Canada Pilots as possible into Pilots for Change. However, the political aspect of change can be tumultuous. We are all Professional Air Canada Pilots and we all deserve respect and solidarity regardless of political outlook. If you do encounter differing viewpoints while speaking about Pilots for Change please encourage your fellow colleague to read the website in its entirety. There is a wealth of curated content within the website and a feedback form people can utilize. A Frequently Asked Questions section has also been added today so be sure to check that out.
Change will not be easy but we are in a time when it is necessary. The stronger our grassroots movement is, the higher our chances of success. This weekend is the time to remember our labour roots and continue to deliver the message about Pilots for Change. Together we will make our Profession stronger and better for years to come even through these times of great distress. Once we are successful in the political arena of elections we can shift our focus to supporting those elected as they govern for the betterment of all Air Canada Pilots.
Thank You
Thank you for signing up for our newsletter and for choosing to stay engaged in your Profession. Please remember to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. As always, a very special thanks to our supporters, whose names appear along side the organizers of Pilots for Change and can be found on the “who we are” section of the website. Your willingness to signal your support has given this initiative the momentum we need and we are continually appreciative.
In Unity,
Pilots For Change