ALPA@Work: Highlighting the Importance of Serving ALPA Members
By Kevin Cuddihy, Contributing Writer
“You’re usually the first person from ALPA your members will meet,” F/O Kandy Bernskoetter (FedEx Express), chair of the Membership Committee, told attendees at the Membership Seminar, held in mid-September at ALPA’s Herndon, Va., Conference Center (see “Pilot Commentary,” page 8). She stressed their “important responsibility” as they present the first impression about ALPA to fellow pilots.
With that in mind, Bernskoetter—along with Capt. Bill Couette, ALPA’s vice president–administration/secretary; Membership Committee members; and staff from ALPA’s Membership Administration Department—took the volunteers on a two-day journey to fill their “ALPA toolbox” with the items necessary for success. Couette promised, “We’re going to give you all the tools you need—names and faces and phone numbers—so that you can do what your pilots need.” Added Bernskoetter, “You don’t need to know everything—just who to ask when you have a question.”
Erin Philbin, ALPA’s Membership Administration supervisor, introduced staff members throughout the event as they presented information or provided instruction. She told pilots, “It’s our job this week to get you the information you want…. Every master executive council [MEC] is unique, so anything we can do to make your job easier—we’ll do it.” Philbin and Amy Eno, ALPA’s Balloting & Local Council Support supervisor, reiterated a message that has become almost a theme for their departments: “Help us help you.”
Thirty-four pilot volunteers—membership committee chairs and members, MEC and local executive council officers, a communications committee chair, and a military affairs committee chair—from 17 pilot groups attended the event. And while there were many first-time attendees, more than a few seasoned volunteers were at the meeting to learn more and share their expertise. “This was one of the largest Membership Seminars we’ve had,” said Bernskoetter. “It’s exciting to see the level of involvement and the work ethic of these volunteers.”
Representatives from two of ALPA’s newest pilot groups were impressed with the support available to them through the union. Capt. Dave Colquhoun and F/O Mike Taylor, chair and member of the WestJet MEC’s Membership Committee, were at ALPA’s Herndon offices for the first time. “Seeing the building and everyone here was impressive,” said Colquhoun. “We came wanting to find out what other pilot groups are doing and what we can learn from them. We all seem to have similar issues, so being able to share strategies is extremely useful.” Taylor added, “A lot of what we learned reinforced that we’re on the right track, which is very helpful. And the Canadian side of issues was presented as well, which we certainly appreciated.”
Frontier has yet to establish a Membership Committee, leaving those duties to F/O Andrew Fischenberg, his pilot group’s secretary-treasurer. “I’m here to start building our Membership Committee by learning how other pilot groups are doing it,” he explained. “We’ve been able to hear about what others are doing for their new hires, for example, and we can learn from that and benefit from it.” He was impressed with the openness of his colleagues and their willingness to share. “There are so many robust and high-quality ideas in this room,” he said.
Sessions during the two days covered new-hire briefings, administrative aspects such as classifications and financial obligations, and how to access member reports. Attendees also learned more about the benefits of ALPA membership and how to best communicate them to new members—things like pilot assistance, the orange card, insurance, the Pilots for Pilots Emergency Relief Fund, and Known Crewmember®. They heard from F/O Drew Everett (Hawaiian), ALPA’s Furloughed Pilots Support Network coordinator, and F/O David Pond (United), ALPA’s Veterans Affairs chairman, about the important work those two groups are doing.
Throughout the seminar, the need to support each and every ALPA member and provide them the services they require was reinforced. “Without our 57,000-plus members, we wouldn’t be sitting here today,” said Couette. “We need to let them know that we are with them throughout their entire career, from the time they sign the membership application until they retire.”
