The Momentum is Building
Another week has gone by since our last newsletter and the word is getting out about Pilots for Change! It’s an exciting time and thank you for helping us spread the message about how we, as an Association, could be performing at a much higher level.
As with most change, we are receiving some resistance. Change is not in our human nature but, during this crisis moment in our industry, change is being forced upon us. We must adapt. If we chose not to change, the future of our profession will be left in the hands of those who sign our paycheques and we already know how that story ends.
The Strength of a Unified Pilot Group
Air Canada pilots have given time and time again to ensure the sustainability of our great Airline. When those ‘gives’ are not protected with very strong snap-back clause language they can take years to negotiate back, if ever. The line pilots at this company have been living under cuts for the last 5 months and it has been very challenging. Even with the reduced salary scheme and early retirements we are still seeing our fellow members being furloughed. So the question must be asked; when is enough, enough? If we all start taking home $1 a week will that save company? No, of course not. This is a ridiculous example but it emphasizes the point. At the end of the day, we are professional pilots essential to the national transportation infrastructure and and we need to be supported through this crisis and into recovery.
Our neighbours South of the border understand this fact. A good new story in the midst of this moment has emerged from our fellow aviators at United Airlines. They were able to reach an Agreement in Principle (AIP) with management that prevents any further furloughs. Once the AIP becomes a Tentative Agreement (TA) the pilot group at United will have their chance to vote on it. The MEC Chair of United, Todd Insler said it best in a note to the MEC “Any potential mitigation must achieve our goals: stop planned furloughs, stop displacements, and include long-term permanent gains for any short-term, fully recoverable modifications,”. The pilots of WestJet also realize this fact as they were successful in negotiating and ratifying a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the end of August which also prevents further layoffs.
Pilots for Change has a very similar outlook on collective bargaining strategy. Guided by the needs of their memberships the United and WestJet MECs have shown effective leadership and achieved tangible results. That all stems from strong member engagement, a sense of community and good governance.
ACPA Governance
The governance model at ACPA was overhauled a few years ago. Unfortunately, as time has shown, we are still lacking in a robust governance model with true accountability and transparency. This has led to an undercurrent of distrust festering amongst our members towards our very own Association. Even if our Association is not doing anything outrightly underhanded our pilots do not have full faith in the decisions that are being made on their behalf.
Take for example, the date of the LEC Base Chair elections this fall, opening on October 5th and closing on October 15th. The past three years have seen the fall election cycle occur from; September 23rd- October 3rd, September 18th-28th and September 25th - October 5th. With the election cycle being held later than past practice, the 180 Air Canada pilots who will be furloughed by October 1st, are not able to vote as they will no longer be active members. This delayed election cycle effectively disenfranchises them.
To be clear, the ACPA constitution does allow for this fluctuation of dates but we at Pilots for Change find the optics of this situation problematic, even considering the obvious constraints of the ongoing pandemic. The Voting Certification Committee (VCC) is comprised of exclusively ACPA staff and is intended to be apolitical. While we agree elections should be arms length, to eliminate the appearance of political influence we feel the adoption of fixed election dates would bolster the election process and promote trust in the association.
Calls to Action
As a grassroots movement we must advocate for our profession every chance we get. Please follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Pilots for Change has actively been engaging with MPs on Twitter, reminding them how fundamental a sustainable aviation industry is for the Canadian economy. Feel free to retweet us or utilize the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) website has for sending out tweets in a campaign they have titled - Our Jobs, Our Future - Act Now. Just remember to also add the @ACPACanada tag alongside our fellow aviator’s tag @ALPACanada.
Pilots for Change is also starting a social media campaign called “That’s Real Change”. We are asking our supporters to film a 20-30 second clip speaking to why you want to see real change in our Association. Check it out on our Instagram page and be sure to tag @pilotsforchange when you do post on your social media platform of choice. The following hashtags are also associated with this campaign; #P4C, #TimeforChange, #ThatsRealChange. Lastly, if you would like your video uploaded onto the Pilots for Change Instagram profile please email it to [email protected].
Fighting for Furloughed Members
We want to acknowledge the ACPA MEC for holding the line on the current contract as detailed in the most recent newsletter. We also want to highlight the wins that have been achieved for our furloughed members in terms of vacation pay and furlough pay. Our P4C supporters were actively communicating with both management and ACPA officials to address these omissions by Air Canada at a time when our furloughed pilots need every last dollar to stay afloat. The Association responded with action, and we feel this is an example of democratic engagement at work. We salute the pilot volunteers and staff who achieved this win.
Updated FAQs
Check out the FAQ section of the website to see new answers to questions from fellow pilots.
Time to Remember
Nineteen years ago the world stood together in shock as we watched the events of 911 unfold before us. We take time today to remember those who were lost and call to mind the parallels we see within this tumultuous time. Many lessons were learned in our industry during that timeframe. It is up to us to not forget those lessons and forge a better path forward.
Thank YOu
Thank you for signing up for our newsletter and for choosing to stay engaged in your Profession. Together we will make our Profession stronger and better for years to come. The Status Quo has proven ineffective and has to change.
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,
P4C