Our Union: Making Change a Reality
By Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA President
I’m proud to be the president of not only the world’s largest union representing airline pilots, but also the world’s largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization. Since the founding of the Air Line Pilots Association in 1931, we’ve invested significant time and resources into advocating to ensure that we have the highest levels of safety, security, and pilot assistance possible. Advocating for continuous improvement is the focus of this issue of Air Line Pilot.
As pilots, we have a unique and exclusive view on the safe operation of our equipment in the global air transportation system. But simply having that perspective is of little use unless we share our knowledge with the decision-makers regulating our industry. Effectively engaging with government and governmental agencies is what makes the difference.
For 85 years, ALPA has spearheaded technological, economic, and policy changes to continuously raise the safety bar for the airline industry. Each step of the way, government and industry stakeholders have been our partners.
In 1931 when ALPA was founded, the airline industry was in its infancy. In the U.S., the Civil Aeronautics Board (the forerunner of the FAA) wasn’t established by Congress until 1938. Aside from pilot experience and know-how, virtually no safety standards were in place. ALPA’s motto, “Schedule with Safety,” was chosen because, at that time, airline operating decisions were simply left up to the operator and were typically economically driven. Our motto was the cornerstone of our safety advocacy.
Thanks to ALPA’s efforts—your efforts—systems and procedures that provide an increased level of safety—like TCAS, EGPWS, ETOPS, and KCM®—often started as a concept with an ALPA pilot or staff member. Our collective knowledge has generated countless ideas to improve safety, and our collective advocacy efforts have seen many of these ideas implemented. Over the years, we’ve worked together to build meaningful progress. It’s up to current line pilots, and each subsequent generation of airline pilots, to ensure that we don’t move backward.
ALPA pilots are helping to implement NextGen and the safety and efficiency benefits it provides. We helped design hardened cockpit doors and are now working to mandate the installation of secondary cockpit barriers (see page 20). Our efforts initiated the regulation of dangerous goods, and we’re now striving to ensure the correct classification of all our cargo (see page 19). We helped create the safest transportation system in history, and it’s up to us to maintain and enhance this system.
Today, we’re fighting to live up to that promise by improving aviation safety, security, and pilot assistance. The U.S. Congress is considering a path forward to reauthorize the FAA—you’ll read about the safety-focused bipartisan Senate bill that highlights many of ALPA’s advocacy efforts (see page 19). In Canada, a new government has just begun its oversight of the aviation system. Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk shares her priorities for the next few years (see page 30). The similarities in both the U.S. and Canadian systems of government (see page 26) give us the ability to “pattern regulate,” and we’ll engage at the International Civil Aviation Organization to raise the safety bar globally.
Just as the U.S. and Canadian governments are democracies, so, too, is ALPA’s governing structure. In our constituent-driven systems, the only source of change is individuals. Collectively and individually, we have the power to create pilot-partisan change north and south of the 49th parallel. Each year, ALPA-PAC, funded by voluntary contributions from approximately 10,000 pilots, works tirelessly to cultivate pilot-partisan champions (see page 34). Our grassroots advocates, pilots who participate in Calls to Action or meet with their elected officials to discuss ALPA priorities, have been engaging Members of Congress and Members of Parliament through every available avenue. ALPA pilots going above and beyond their workplace responsibilities to make their voice heard is the most effective catalyst for positive change—the recent overwhelming engagement on our campaign to #DenyNAI and demand that our government safeguard our jobs is just one example of how effective we can be.
This issue is focused on the changes ALPA seeks in government policy. And as time has shown, only our members can make these changes a reality. I hope every ALPA member will join me in working with our elected representatives to advance safety and security for the airline industry.
